Culture and leisure for children and young people

Anna-Lena Hedberg (SD)

Mr. Speaker! I begin by moving to approve the committee's proposal for a decision.

The Sweden Democrats believe that culture plays a decisive role in the lives of children and young people. Culture shapes our values, our identity, and our view of the world. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that we ensure children and young people are given the opportunity to create and participate in cultural expressions.

During the budget debate, I spoke about my view on the importance of introducing children and young people to cultural life and that performing arts, theater, music, image, and art can be crucial for children and young people's future consumption of culture and participation in cultural life. In the same way that we must review the skills supply within many different professions, we need today to ensure that there is a replenishment of cultural creators but also of culture consumers. Through the culture school, we ensure this replenishment of future musicians, artists, and performing arts workers and future culture consumers.

Mr. Speaker! I believe in a cultural policy that is inclusive and accessible to all children and young people, regardless of background and socioeconomic status. It is not just about giving them the opportunity to consume culture, but also about giving them the tools to themselves create and participate in cultural activities.

Sweden is known all over the world for its dynamic cultural diversity. We have a long history of art, literature, music, and theater that has inspired and touched people across generations and national borders. From Strindberg's dramas and ABBA's iconic songs to Astrid Lindgren's fairy tales and Ingmar Bergman's films, Swedish cultural creators have made an impact in the world and enriched humanity's cultural heritage.

But our cultural wealth extends far beyond the classical works and the established institutions. We live in a time where culture is more accessible than ever before and where new forms of art and creativity constantly emerge and spread through digital platforms and social media.

Mr. Speaker! A significant part of this success can be attributed to the Swedish musical miracle and other outstanding achievements within culture, which partly stems from Sweden's investments in music schools and the inclusion of culture in school education during the 20th century. It has made culture accessible to children and young people across the entire country.

The Sweden Democrats see the importance of the opportunity for a meaningful and active leisure time, not only within sport and movement but also within other areas such as the cultural sphere. A meaningful leisure time has a great impact on how our children and young people feel and is therefore extremely important in every child's life.

Mr. Speaker! Our children are our future, and it is they who shall preserve our culture and carry it forward into the future.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Amanda Lind (MP)

Mr. Speaker! What is it that makes us human? What is it that makes us feel meaning in our lives? What is it that makes us experience joy and community with one another?

Most of the time, the answer is culture. It is culture and art that provide color, tone, and form to our presence and make us understand ourselves, each other, and life a little better. Through culture, we grow as human beings.

This, Mr. Speaker, is highly important when it comes to culture for children and young people. It is a broad and important report that we are debating today. I will make a few points.

To begin with access to culture for children and young people, we know that it is an area where there are great inequalities. Access to culture and personal creation differs depending on where you live in the country, your socioeconomic background, and your parents' commitment to ensuring that you receive cultural education and access to cultural experiences.

We know that in municipalities where there is good access to cultural schools and where there are staffed school libraries and a rich association life with cultural activities and folk education, culture is more accessible for children.

Assitej has concluded in a report that access to performing arts experiences for children and young people in school is unequal. At the same time, school is the place that has the opportunity to level such injustices. School reaches all children, and therefore it is fundamental that access to culture for children and young people in school is made more equal.

Mr. Speaker! Investing in our youth's aesthetic creation yields manifold returns in the form of children being able to grow and develop in their creativity, achieving greater well-being, better schooling, and a society where art and culture are more present. We all benefit from that. Therefore, children and young people's equal access to culture needs to be prioritized.

It is frustrating to repeatedly receive reports from the Agency for Cultural Analysis pointing out that we are not meeting the goal of children and young people's access to culture throughout the country. It is something we collectively need to take decisive action to rectify.

Mr. Speaker! We in Miljöpartiet have taken a stand for a national cultural guarantee. Here, we mean that such an investigation should be appointed as soon as possible to review how such a guarantee can be designed. Skapande skola is good, but it only reaches half of the country's students. We cannot let ourselves be satisfied with that. With the help of a state cultural guarantee, we can ensure that all children get access to cultural experiences and encounters with professional culture in school. This should apply all the way up to upper secondary school. Sometimes we forget that year group. For children and young people who are at the most formative age on their way into adulthood and who get better access to art and culture, culture can provide great opportunities for the future and mean the establishment of cultural habits that can be important for them.

We also mean that aesthetic subjects in all upper secondary programs is a reform that should be introduced. Generally, we need to take the school's compensatory mission even for culture, education, and aesthetic activities much more seriously.

Mr. Speaker! Every week, tens of thousands of children and young people attend the municipal cultural school. There, they are given the opportunity to engage in dance and theater, learn to play an instrument, stand on stage, or engage in other types of culture. In addition to developing children and young people's aesthetic abilities, we know that the practice of culture contributes to both intellectual and social development. It helps children to perform better in school.

We also know that young people's opportunity to engage in culture is important for mental health and well-being. Making an accessible culture school available for all children in all of Sweden's municipalities is ultimately a question of both equality and democracy, of being able to take up space, make one's voice heard, and find one's own language.

Mr. Speaker! The cultural school is not just a municipal matter, as it sometimes sounds in the debate. The national policy for the cultural school is completely central to raising the status of the cultural school, strengthening cultural school teachers, and ensuring that there are funds for development. In that regard, the state support for the cultural school has been absolutely crucial.

I meet representatives from cultural schools all over the country who, through the state support, get the opportunity to purchase new instruments, to try new subjects, to carry out special projects to reach precisely those children and students who are far from the cultural school's activities. We in Miljöpartiet believe that it is obvious that national policy should contribute to promoting the cultural school's activities. We just heard from the rostrum about the Swedish musical miracle, which has resulted in artists spreading Swedish culture all over the world and children and young people having learned to play instruments. It has not happened by itself, but it is about conscious political initiatives to ensure that there is an infrastructure for cultural schools all over our country. We need to take responsibility for developing this further.

In our motion, which is part of the committee report, we have presented some points that we believe are central to strengthening the culture school for the future. We want to see a culture school where everyone can participate, and there should be equal conditions. This means that all children, regardless of socioeconomic background or where you live, should have access to a good culture school.

Here, the Green Party argues that a cultural school act would be the next reasonable step to strengthen the cultural school. It should be a framework act in the same way as the Library Act. The Riksdag does not intervene and manage details, but we stipulate that there must be a long-term and predictable protection for cultural schools throughout our country. We can secure quality and a broadened range, and a legally regulated cultural school would gain status as a school form and thus also be made accessible to more children.

Mr. Speaker! We in Miljöpartiet also want to strengthen the state support for music schools. We want to make it permanent, and as a next step, we also want to review the guidelines for the support so that it can be designed in a more long-term way to support the country's music school activities. This was also a proposal in the report From crisis to strength - Restart for culture from an investigation that we commissioned as part of the recovery after the pandemic.

Mr. Speaker! We have for a longer period followed how children and young people's reading has decreased and how children's reading proficiency has become increasingly worse. It is deeply worrying. Reading proficiency is, as we know, absolutely crucial for the possibility of orienting oneself in society, stimulating the imagination, gaining new perspectives and seeing new worlds. But it is also about acquiring the most important basic skill for living in our society and being active democratic citizens. That all young people should have a strong reading proficiency is thus a completely crucial democratic issue. We know that boys read less than girls, and thus the risk also increases of falling behind when it comes to study results and the opportunity to actively participate in the social debate.

Mr. Speaker! It is important to emphasize that the work to promote reading and literature must include the entire society. It is important with investments in schools, with staffed school libraries, the purchase of books and reading instruction, but a functioning ecosystem for literature is also needed. Children need reading role models, and for that, the entire society needs to be involved. There must be good conditions for the public libraries, for the association life and civil society, as well as for adult education. We know that the activities of the study associations contribute greatly with both reading and writing promotion initiatives throughout Sweden. Therefore, we want to see a broad investment in reading for all children and young people as a natural priority.

Mr. Speaker! This is an important report with many pressing issues concerning children and young people's access to culture. We naturally stand behind all our motions, but for the sake of time, I move for approval only of our reservation 5 regarding the culture school.

I would like to conclude by reminding that access to culture and creativity for children and young people in our country is a matter that we in the chamber must take with the utmost seriousness.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Roland Utbult (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Member Amanda Lind for the speech.

It was beautiful when you spoke about the cultural school, and I was somewhat moved. It sounded like a hymn to the cultural school. There was harmony and beautiful tones - almost like a piece of music.

Everyone should participate in the cultural school, no matter where you live. And it is a cultural school law that shall resolve this.

I have read Göteborgs-Posten, and one should know that in Gothenburg, the Social Democrats and the Left Party rule together with the Green Party. It is they who have the cake.

It appears in Göteborgs-Posten that the city's cuts have reached the culture school. Twelve full-time positions, primarily within the subject of music, are to be removed, which means that approximately 960 students will lose their culture school teacher. Given how immensely many positive effects practicing music has on children, this is nothing other than tragic.

How does this harmonize with what we hear here about how important it is that everyone can participate, if it is the case that 960 students will lose their culture school teacher in a municipality where Miljöpartiet rules together with Socialdemokraterna and Vänsterpartiet?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Amanda Lind (MP)

Mr. Speaker! I would venture to claim that practically any local politicians I speak with, regardless of political affiliation, want to invest in the cultural school. It is considered an important activity for the students and for the parents. It is something one wants in one's municipality.

But it is clear that it becomes difficult when a municipality has a budget to adhere to in a recession with high inflation, with insufficient upward adjustment of the state grants, which SKR has pointed out for several years. Furthermore, Sweden has gone through a pandemic. We had a higher state support for the culture school, at 200 million kronor, and this government chose to lower it to 100 million kronor. This has meant that many culture schools around the country have had to save. They have had to cut back on the development initiatives that have been important to reach just those children and young people who are furthest away from the culture school's activities.

I would like to direct the question back to Member of Parliament Roland Utbult. What does your government intend to do to strengthen the conditions for the cultural school in all municipalities throughout our country?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Roland Utbult (KD)

Mr. Speaker and Member Lind! I think it is perhaps a bit unfair to bring up that one has reduced the 200 million to 100 million. We are, in fact, back to how it was before the pandemic. The Member knows that the pandemic involved special measures. Now one is back to how it was before, in a normal situation.

To speak the language of music, this sounds very atonal to my ears. I can't quite make it add up. All the politicians in the municipalities across Sweden apparently want well, but it doesn't seem so in Gothenburg.

Budget is difficult, as the member says. One must hold back because of inflation and other things. But Gothenburg's city budget is at 50 billion, that is to say 50,000 million, and this is about a cut of 10 million kronor. It is distressing that in a budget of 50 billion, i.e., 50,000 million, one cuts 10 million on the cultural school. It affects over 900 students and also teachers.

We both mean that the cultural school is very important. But here there is no harmony. Here there are no pleasant chords. Many think it is purely sad that one does it this way. It is the Social Democrats, the Left Party and the Green Party who rule over this.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Amanda Lind (MP)

Mr. Speaker! Now we are talking about the state's efforts for the culture school and the national policy, not about the Gothenburg municipality, with all respect for Member Utbult.

The municipalities in Sweden are in a tough position. We have had a pandemic. The recovery has been difficult. We know, at least, that many slipped away from the culture school during that time, perhaps especially those who were furthest away from the culture school's activities.

We in Miljöpartiet wanted to make permanent and increase the state support for the culture school, precisely because we saw how important it was to reach more people. We want to establish a culture school law to strengthen the culture school's conditions across the entire country, and we want the culture school to be a place where one can encounter breadth - where more children and young people get to try, learn, and develop their creative abilities - but also where talents can be further developed and become just a part of the Swedish cultural and musical miracle moving forward.

This government's low ambitions are deplorable. It is not enough to look back at how it was before the pandemic when we now see how cultural schools all over the country are forced to save. It is not enough to give the municipalities insufficient increases of the state grants and thereby pressure their budget.

I expect more from the government. And I hope that member Roland Utbult can present a more offensive policy for the cultural school here in the rostrum moving forward.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Emma Ahlström Köster (M)

Mr. Speaker! I have had the privilege and the opportunity to grow up in a home that was full of culture – music, art, literature, film, crafts, handicrafts, and culinary arts. There were Astrid Lindgren's and Maria Gripe's books, Georg Riedel's compositions, Allan Edwall's characters, and Alfons bus and reflections. But it is not until now, in adulthood, when I myself am to raise my children, that I fully understand what culture has contributed and done for me.

Culture is a treasure that both you and I carry with us our whole lives and which I hope will be passed down not only to my children but also to generations beyond, just as the culture I received has many times traveled through generations before me. Culture helps us understand who we are and where we come from. It examines and questions. It tells and confirms.

Several studies show that both physical activity and culture have a positive effect on people's health. Culture also strengthens your well-being, regardless of whether you yourself participate in the cultural activity or whether you take part in it as an audience member.

Mr. Speaker! Engaging in sports, outdoor life, or culture has proven positive effects on us humans, while we simultaneously receive support in the shaping of ourselves as individuals through these activities. It underscores the importance of ensuring that precisely sports, outdoor life, and culture reach especially our children and young people.

I am therefore proud that we today have a government that wants all children to be reached by exactly this, regardless of background or economic opportunities. Through our policy, more will also be able to do so.

What is the government doing concretely to strengthen children's and young people's leisure time? For the first thing, we are introducing the culture and leisure card. It is a completely unique and targeted initiative that will strengthen children's and young people's leisure activities. The government is working so that the card will be launched in 2025.

Secondly, the government has appointed a committee with a mandate to develop a Swedish cultural canon. The purpose is for it to be living and able to be used as a tool for education, community, and inclusion. It shall also encourage deepening and enlightenment.

For the third time, we are making a unique initiative on reading. In previous speeches, we have heard how important it is. The Government presents real and concrete initiatives. Among other things, we allocate 40 million kronor annually 2024-2026 for efforts on public libraries' reading promotion work for children and young people.

We are also focusing on physical learning materials in schools. Children and students must have access to books. The government has established a new state grant specifically for the purchase of fiction and non-fiction. Only this year, 176 million kronor have been allocated. This corresponds to approximately 880,000 books.

Mr. Speaker! Ultimately, reading is a question of democracy and equality. It is partly about access to education and culture, and partly about the opportunity to take a place in our society as an active citizen in a democratic Sweden.

When children immerse themselves in a book, they find an outlet for an innate curiosity. They need to concentrate and shut out the world. They get mental gymnastics in a world of complex thoughts, logic, and humor. The right book at the right time helps the reader to relax, relieves stress, and provides peace of mind.

Reading is also the best way to find out things, to learn more. Furthermore, it is a fantastic and concrete way to expand one's vocabulary while simultaneously acquiring new knowledge and new ideas. Through texts, one experiences the power of words in poetry, imagination, wordplay, and jokes. As a result, one becomes skilled at using the language, so that one is able to communicate with others in a clear and convincing way.

Books bridge distances in time and space. We learn empathy by taking part in human experiences from the past and in the present and future.

Mr. Speaker! Childhood is the period when we build up our literacy for the rest of our lives. Research shows that children learn to read until approximately the age of eight. After this age, one reads instead in order to learn.

An international study from 2021 shows that the differences in reading comprehension in grade 4 increased significantly between student groups and between schools. And according to a Pisamätning from 2023, a quarter do not reach the level of reading comprehension that is considered necessary for continued learning. We cannot accept that, Mr. Speaker.

Literacy is a key to success in life, and Sweden must be a reading nation. Strengthening literacy, not least among children and young people, is one of the government's and the Moderaternas most important and primary priorities within the area of children and young people.

Here, the libraries play a crucial role. The government has therefore allocated 40 million kronor annually for initiatives for the public libraries' reading promotion work for children and young people.

Mr. Speaker! As I have explained, the government is now making several investments in children and young people so that they can have an increasingly meaningful leisure time within both sports and culture. Sports shall reach those who risk being left behind, and more children must be lured into the world of books. State museums and theaters all over the country are making many efforts to reach children and young people, and we are also doing much more than I have the opportunity to highlight today.

According to a guideline decision for this year, Riksteatern shall specifically work to increase interest in performing arts for children and young people, and 177 million is also distributed within the framework of Skapande skola. By experiencing culture in different forms and by being involved in creating and practicing culture, children develop their creativity and their independent thinking. This, Madam Speaker, is the best we can give our children.

I cannot overemphasize the importance of all children in the entire country getting exactly that opportunity, and the three concrete initiatives I have highlighted will ensure that more actually reach it. I move for approval of the committee's proposal.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Kristoffer Lindberg (S)

Madam Speaker! I would like to begin by moving to approve the Social Democrats' reservation 3.

All people have a right to culture and education and a valuable leisure time. Here, the culture school has an incredibly important role in giving children and young people the opportunity for cultural activities. The culture school exists today in almost all municipalities, both in large cities and in rural and sparsely populated areas. Therefore, it is of particular importance when we now talk about precisely culture and leisure for children and young people throughout Sweden.

The Riksdag has decided that the state shall contribute to a more accessible and equal culture school of high quality in both offering and teaching. There is now a state development grant available to be used to develop the activities.

We Social Democrats want this development grant to be at a higher level than today, and that is also why in our budget we proposed a doubling from the government's 100 million to 200 million.

We see how the development grant has been used to develop and broaden the existing activities by, for example, starting outreach activities and offering new forms of culture and education to reach children and young people who have not previously found their way to the culture school.

Madam Speaker! The culture school is fundamentally a municipal responsibility, but its importance for children and young people's access to culture and an active leisure time also makes it a national matter, we Social Democrats argue. In a survey conducted by the Culture School Council, it appears that 46 percent of the responding municipalities are forced to provide a lower grant to the culture schools this year, while at the same time 43 percent remain on an unchanged budget, which, without compensation for price and wage increases, is also a cut. That more than nine out of ten culture schools are now forced into cuts inevitably risks affecting children and young people's opportunity to participate in the culture school's activities.

The background is the municipalities' tough economic situation and the government's insufficient state grants to the municipalities. We are now seeing the consequences of the government's policy. It is not just about cuts in healthcare, school, and elderly care, but also about the basic funding of the cultural school.

Today it is clear that participation in the culture school is unequal. From a report prepared by the Riksdag's investigation service, it appears that 81 percent of the students in the culture school have at least one parent with post-secondary education. This should be compared with the average for the country as a whole, which is 60 percent. Furthermore, we can observe that the culture school exists with a wide range of offerings and good conditions in many parts of the country, while in some municipalities there is no culture school at all. In some municipalities, high fees are charged, but in others, both instruction and instrument rental are free of charge.

Making culture school accessible to more people is an important issue for us Social Democrats, and we therefore want the government to investigate the question of how the state can further contribute to strengthening and making culture school accessible in Sweden, both regarding how we secure future access to trained culture school teachers and the question of all children's equal opportunities to participate in the activities, as well as how we can ensure access to culture school throughout the country.

Madam Speaker! Children and young people's access to culture is not only a matter for the country's cultural schools. The school is also an important arena for letting children experience professional performing arts during their upbringing.

In some schools and municipalities, there is already exemplary work to guarantee children and young people access to creative and cultural experiences, often linked to the state funds for Skapande skola. At the same time, there are students who rarely or never come into contact with these experiences during their school time.

Access to performing arts and personal creativity for children and young people is unequally distributed. A national cultural guarantee could be a model for how all children and young people in Sweden are guaranteed to continuously experience professional performing arts and personal creativity during their school years. We believe that this issue is worth investigating further. Inspiration can be drawn from the Norwegian model, Den kulturelle skolesekken. Sweden should therefore, at a national level, investigate the question of how all children and young people shall be guaranteed access to culture, performing arts, and personal creativity.

Madam Speaker! We are all different. Culture schools or association-driven sports capture many children and young people, but of course not all. An important part for many children and young people is open-access leisure activities. It is an activity that must not be lost in the debate.

In June 2022, the Social Democratic government appointed an inquiry to gather knowledge and analyze open-access leisure activities. It concerned identifying how these activities can be quality-assured and developed to become a more accessible activity. The inquiry mandate also included specifically analyzing how leisure activities can be included in the overall work of crime and violence prevention.

The investigation was supposed to have been submitted by December 1 last year, but unfortunately, the investigation was scrapped by the new government. We Social Democrats regret this. Now that the government has scrapped this investigation, we urge the government to come forward with other proposals to strengthen young people's access to valuable leisure activities outside of the sports movement and the cultural school. So far, we have not seen any proposals.

Madam Speaker! I hope we all agree that there is a need for a conscious and long-term policy that creates conditions for an active and valuable leisure time for children and young people, where culture is a natural part of growing up. Why is that important? Well, access to culture and leisure is a measure of how well-off a society is. A society that sees the value of culture and has the strength to work towards building a functioning infrastructure for culture has invested long-term both in its population and in social development. That is exactly what culture and leisure for children and young people is about - a lifelong investment.

(Applause)

In this speech, Lawen Redar (S) agreed.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Roland Utbult (KD)

Madam Speaker! Then we were there again, then, in the culture school. It was a fine and beautiful piece of music that Member Lindberg performed here. There was not so much dissonance, if one starts from the speech.

It is scientifically proven that when one plays and sings, one gains a greater understanding of each other, and one trains empathetic abilities. It can be good even in a dialogue, perhaps.

But there is a dissonance here. It is something that grates. We are both involved in music – many in the culture committee are – and we also agree that the development grant is and has been important, just as we heard in the presentation.

Where then does the dissonance lie? Well, if you really, as expressed in the speech, prioritize the culture school so highly, then the Social Democrats in Gothenburg would also do so.

Here, instead, 10 million is being removed from the culture school in Gothenburg - in a budget of 50 billion, i.e., 50,000 million. It has consequences for the children. Over 900 students lose their education in the culture school.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Kristoffer Lindberg (S)

Madam Speaker! I feel honored to be elected to the Gothenburg Municipal Council here today.

We Social Democrats, in addition to not cutting the state development grant to the culture school, have proposed 10 billion kronor more than the government to municipalities and regions. This is a total of 26 billion kronor to the municipal sector for 2024 in our budget. This would have protected the municipal basic funding of the culture school in a significantly better way. Unfortunately, the member voted against this in this chamber.

We appointed an inquiry to quality-assure and strengthen open leisure activities. The member's government has scrapped it. We want the issue of a national cultural guarantee for children and young people to be investigated. The member himself has said no to that.

The question to Roland Utbult is then: What does the member and the member's party want to do to stop both the cultural school crisis and the welfare crisis that the government is causing in the country's municipalities?

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Roland Utbult (KD)

Madam Speaker! Gothenburg is Sweden's second largest city. That is not entirely insignificant. It is a fairly large budget - 50 billion, that is 50,000 million. Still, one has the nerve to cut 10 million, which affects over 900 students. I think it is frightening. And it is Social Democrats who, together with the Green Party and the Left Party, rule and manage in Sweden's second largest city.

One can abdicate responsibility and say: We are talking about national funds. But it is, after all, about a prioritization and about what one considers important.

I heard the speech. It was a beautiful speech. The member speaks nicely about what the culture school means. I believe that we in the speaker's chair agree on the importance of the culture school. But in practice and in reality, the Social Democrats show how one actually views the culture school, if one agrees to this together with Miljöpartiet and Vänsterpartiet in Gothenburg.

Gothenburg has traditionally been very Social Democratic. Therefore, I am concerned if the party has this attitude. That one speaks beautifully about this here is one thing, but it simply does not feel fair that in practice one cuts by 10 million - out of 50 billion - which affects over 900 students and a number of teachers.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Kristoffer Lindberg (S)

Madam Speaker! I am still in the Gothenburg municipal council, which I find strange. But I don't actually perceive anything concrete at all from Roland Utbult that would seriously make a difference for the country's municipalities when it comes to managing the welfare or managing the cultural school crisis. Roland Utbult has an example, and it is the Gothenburg municipality, and that is what we shall discuss here in the Riksdag's rostrum.

But the problem is that the government does not compensate the municipalities sufficiently. They are forced into cuts, not only within healthcare, school, and elderly care but also within, for example, the cultural school. That is what I mentioned in my speech. Nine out of ten cultural schools are forced into cuts. It is a consequence of the government's policy. Right now, we see a halved development grant for the cultural schools, and we see that more resources are needed for the municipalities. Nine out of ten cultural schools are forced into cuts, and here the member stands helpless.

Politics is about wanting, but it can also be formulated: Politics is about choosing. It is clear to everyone what this government chooses and prioritizes. It is not culture and leisure for children and young people.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Roland Utbult (KD)

Madam Speaker! I support the committee's proposal for a decision and move for the motions to be rejected.

Sometimes we in politics engage in a rather protracted struggle for something we believe in. It is truly rewarding when it succeeds. One such example is the leisure card. It is a rather long journey from the leisure allowance to the leisure card that is now being shaped. Allow me to be proud and happy about this innovation.

We Christian Democrats have fought hard to, alongside other targeted reforms, introduce the leisure card. For us, families with children are those who should be prioritized in tough times. Children should not have to feel economic stress or have to pay the price because their parents are having difficulty paying their bills. The leisure card shall enable children and young people to continue with football or dance even if mom and dad are currently having a hard time financially. It is an important relief in a tough economic time.

This is how it is intended to work: The leisure card shall contain a value that can be used as payment for children and young people aged 8-16 for leisure activities within, for example, the sports movement, outdoor organizations, and other organizations within civil society and the cultural sphere. The size of the amount will have a differentiated design in order to specifically support children and young people from socioeconomically disadvantaged households so that they can participate in leisure activities.

Children and young people with disabilities or other needs for special support shall be highlighted so that the leisure card benefits them to the same extent as it does for other children and young people. We are pleased that what we have fought for for so long will be in place in 2025.

Madam Speaker! I want to say something about the cultural canon. The purpose of this canon is to make Swedish culture accessible to more people. A Swedish cultural canon should be a living and useful tool for education, community, and inclusion. It is, therefore, an educational project for all citizens. It can also be a way to create an understanding of Sweden's history. A teacher expressed it like this: The list should at least give me something to start with, and then I can seek further on my own.

The government appointed Lars Trägårdh - prominent academic, historian and professor at Uppsala University - in December 2023 to lead the work of developing Sweden's new cultural canon.

So, it is about education for everyone and - listen now! - not about a luxury for a few, where education is something self-evident and given. The process must be open and inclusive. I think it is important to emphasize. Education is something that must be strived for and won by people.

We have heard several speeches about what reading means for children and young people. We know that 17-year-olds who have not read as much have approximately 15,000 words to use. The 17-year-olds who have had a lot of reading at home and who have read a lot have up to 50,000 words to use. It becomes a class difference, if one may use that expression. It is then important that this cultural canon can contribute to increased reading and increased understanding.

In the directives, it is stated, among other things, that it is of particular importance that children and young people are given the opportunity to take part in what the Swedish cultural treasure has to offer. At the same time, this cultural canon needs to encourage deepening and learning throughout life. A Swedish cultural canon therefore needs, according to the directives, to be relevant and accessible for both children and adults. This shall be reported on 31 August 2025.

Madam Speaker! I also want to say something about the culture school, which has been raised in a few exchanges of remarks.

When searching on the Riksdag's website for the word "kulturskolan," one gets up the number of occasions the members have spoken about the culture school. A bit funny to see, if you'll excuse me for being a little proud for a brief second, is that I have mentioned the culture school on the most occasions - a total of 50 times! Now there will be a few more. In second and third place come Vänsterpartiet and Centerpartiet.

This perhaps says nothing more than that the cultural school is important for us Christian Democrats. Perhaps we should all talk more about the importance of more children and young people being given the opportunity to take part in the cultural school's offerings. The cultural schools in Sweden are unique in the world, because the idea is that everyone should be able to afford to let their children learn to play an instrument or engage in other cultural activities regardless of background or economic circumstances. We see it as valuable to safeguard this activity.

As I mentioned in the exchange, it is scientifically proven that when one plays music together, one gains more understanding for each other, and one also trains empathetic abilities. This can also be linked to the leisure card, which is intended to be usable for payment of fees to the cultural school. In that way, it gains an additional social significance.

There are many challenges when it comes to the cultural school, something we have heard when we have discussed this today, for example reaching all children regardless of gender and background and in this way contributing to the important national cultural policy goal that all children should have the opportunity to participate in cultural life. For the Christian Democrats, it continues to be important to safeguard the cultural schools and get more children and young people to take part in the offerings and in this way enrich their respective lives.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Kristoffer Lindberg (S)

Madam Speaker! The leisure card is essentially the government's only initiative on culture and leisure for children and young people. Time and again, its introduction is postponed. Everyone has heard about it – no one has seen it. The question is soon whether we will ever see it.

This year, there are 731 million intended to be paid out. But the system is not yet in place. We Social Democrats have therefore proposed that these funds should instead be used for more sports fields and sports facilities, of which there is a great shortage in the country. Why do the governing parties say no to that?

Försäkringskassan has had the assignment to investigate and prepare the administration of an execution register, i.e., which associations one can use one's leisure card at. Försäkringskassan flags significant costs for introducing and administering this register of associations. The authority itself says that even if resources are added, there is a major challenge in having a developed register with adequate quality during 2025. There is therefore a risk that the assignment will not be completed even by next year.

My questions to the member are: What effects will it have for all the authorities involved to administer the leisure card? For Försäkringskassan, significant resources and staff increases are required. Will the authority receive increased appropriations to manage this, or is the intention that it should be taken from the existing appropriations to the authority? What work is it that Försäkringskassan will stop doing in order to be able to administer the government's leisure card?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Roland Utbult (KD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you for the questions, Member Lindberg!

One of the effects of the leisure card is that there will be costs for its development even during this year. As we know, the E-hälsomyndigheten, Folkhälsomyndigheten, Försäkringskassan, Myndigheten för ungdoms- och civilsamhällesfrågor and Statens kulturråd are all involved in developing this, so there are some costs there.

When implementing a leisure card like this, it is very important to keep in mind that one must protect oneself against any effects of criminal acts. As in most areas, there are surely criminals who want to exploit this to enrich themselves in some way. That it takes time, I therefore actually see as something positive, because one can then secure the card in a good way. That is also why so many authorities are involved.

I have great confidence that the government is analyzing the economy both for this year and for coming years and also for the arrangements around it. This costs a lot of money, but because it is for children and young people, we believe that it fits into what we all want here and believe in, namely to strengthen children's and young people's opportunities for leisure activities and cultural activities.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Kristoffer Lindberg (S)

Madam Speaker! In light of the reporting we have received from Försäkringskassan, we must all be able to conclude that there are some concerns regarding the introduction of the leisure card.

Försäkringskassan notes already now, in the spring of 2024, one year after the leisure card was supposed to have been launched according to the original decision, that it is still difficult to get the association register established. Försäkringskassan notes that a simple administration is not possible to combine with control and security – of course – and despite a high control ambition, Försäkringskassan sees that, among other things, the regulatory framework for non-profit associations involves a high risk of criminal exploitation.

Furthermore, it is warned that the introduction of this register entails a displacement effect on other parts of Försäkringskassan's operations. This is described as "concerning". My question is: What is Försäkringskassan expected to deprioritize?

If we look at the costs, the assessment is that the total cost for IT development amounts to 291 million kronor. Ongoing administrative costs annually amount to 218 million kronor. The number of man-years goes from 20 in the first year to 160 from the second year onwards when the card is introduced. In addition, 730 million kronor are to be paid out.

We are, therefore, up to billions of kronor. At the same time, municipality after municipality is forced to cut back on culture and leisure for children and young people, and the voluntary sector is living under great economic difficulties. So far, not a single child has seen a penny of this money.

When will the card be in place? Will Försäkringskassan's allocation for administration increase further?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Roland Utbult (KD)

Madam Speaker! I can answer the last one: The plan is that it will arrive in 2025 unless the world ends, but we probably shouldn't believe that.

This is for children and young people. That is the very core of it: leisure activities and cultural activities for children and young people.

I am fascinated that Member Lindberg is so incredibly knowledgeable and so interested in this bill. It is promising, I think. Even though we see concerns - that it will cost a lot and that criminals may want to exploit it - I would also like to urge Member Lindberg to say yes to this. Be positive that it is about children's and young people's activities!

I don't know if it might be that one is a bit jealous that it is precisely the Christian Democrats and other parties that have pushed this through. It is not even their own idea, but someone else who came up with it. I urge Member Lindberg to say yes to the leisure card, because it will be a success!

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Amanda Lind (MP)

Madam Speaker! Member Utbult also speaks beautifully about the culture school - almost like a piece of music! But it is not enough to speak warmly about the culture school; it is about taking action.

During our time in government, we in Miljöpartiet, together with the Socialdemokraterna, established a national policy for the culture school. We introduced a development grant for the culture school which was completely central for the country's culture schools to have the opportunity to test new methods, reach out to new groups, and develop their activities. We strengthened the culture school teacher training and established a culture school council, a coordination through Kulturrådet, which provided the opportunity to spread good examples to culture schools around the country.

Madam Speaker! When we have discussed the cultural school earlier today, I have posed the question to Member Utbult regarding what the Christian Democrats intend to do to strengthen the cultural schools in Sweden moving forward. We know that Sweden's municipalities are under heavy pressure from inflation and that many cultural schools have seen their budgets decrease. At the same time, the state support for the cultural school has decreased from 200 million to 100 million kronor. What is the Christian Democrats' and the Tidö government's answer on how we can strengthen access to the cultural school for all children in our entire country?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Roland Utbult (KD)

Madam Speaker! I am convinced that we agree on the importance of a culture school for our children and young people - that they are given the opportunity to learn to play an instrument or dance, or to engage in some other cultural activity within the culture school's activities. I have myself seen the importance of young people being given that opportunity with the help of skilled teachers who engage and show the way. It has meant incredibly much in our family, if I may say so.

I think that what was done by the previous government and Member Amanda Lind when the Member was Minister for Culture is fantastically good, absolutely. The development grant is important. It is 100 million, and the committee views positively that the state grant to the municipal culture school has been extended. It is therefore a majority that considers this to be important. Everyone naturally thinks so, but even the committee as a whole considers this.

When it comes to what I can promise here and now: One must be careful with promises, but I am completely convinced that the activity support of 100 million will remain in the future. The Christian Democrats will also fight for that.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Amanda Lind (MP)

Madam Speaker! Thank you for the announcement, Member Utbult! It is positive to hear that the Christian Democrats intend to work to continue extending the support, but I expect more. If one speaks so warmly about the culture school, I expect a more offensive culture school policy.

On the one hand, we know that the country's municipalities need strengthened state grants to avoid compensating for inflation and the recession by making cuts to welfare and culture; on the other hand, we know that the development grant to the cultural schools is highly in demand and appreciated. When it was at 200 million, it was used for so much important activity. Can Member Utbult promise to also fight to double the state cultural school support? That is my question there.

Then I also wonder how one views the issue of the leisure card (fritidskortet). It is, in fact, something that has been said that one wants to utilize for the activities of the cultural schools. That sounds laudable, but we know that the country's cultural schools have warned that the risk with such a type of support is that the queues to the cultural school will increase. If one does not simultaneously provide sufficient support to the cultural schools so that they can hire new teachers and develop new subjects and new courses, this with a leisure card risks becoming a shot in the air. How do the Christian Democrats intend to work to address that?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Roland Utbult (KD)

Madam Speaker! Several thoughts are running through my head at the same time here.

When we talk about priorities, how I see this with the culture school and our and the government's initiatives, it still grates a bit if I think about the previous exchange regarding Gothenburg and the initiatives that are not being made there. There, they are cutting back on the culture schools - in a budget of 50 billion, the Social Democrats together with the Left Party and the Green Party are cutting back on the culture schools by 10 million, which affects 900 students. It grates a bit in this context, and that is where I have some concerns. If one really prioritized this - and meant it from the heart, so to speak - it would spread out into the municipalities, because what we do nationally here sends signals out to the municipalities. So, it is something that grates there.

I cannot promise that the development grant will be increased. I do not have the mandate to do that. I can work for it and raise it with the relevant parties within the government. That I can do, and I can promise that I will do it – but that it will have any effect, I cannot promise. Let us, however, agree that the 100 million that the member was involved in introducing are important for the opportunities of children and young people, and let us see that as something positive! I would also like the member to fully embrace the leisure card.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Vasiliki Tsouplaki (V)

Madam Speaker! It is the responsibility of society to give all children and young people in the country equally good opportunities to build upon the initial joy of discovery and creation that we can see in small children. We need to encourage the desire to seek knowledge and learn new things, broaden their world, and take part in new contexts. It is therefore fundamental that all children throughout their upbringing have access to cultural activities where they are creative themselves, but also that they get to experience professionally practiced culture within different genres.

There are large differences when it comes to children's access to culture today. If you come from a home with high incomes and highly educated parents, the chance is much greater that you have attended a theater or a concert than if your parents have a working-class background. There is also a much greater chance that you attend courses at the culture school if your parents were born in Sweden.

Despite the fact that there is a national goal to specifically prioritize children's and young people's access to culture, there is currently no systematic and unified work to achieve that goal. There is not even unified national statistics to base on if one wants to measure how the goal is progressing.

Madam Speaker! This cannot continue. We have both the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states that all children have a right to culture, and our own national goals to work from. From Vänsterpartiet, we want to see substantial and effective investments in both children's own creativity and their access to professional performing arts and other cultural experiences.

An excellent arena to reach all children is, of course, the school, which also has a clear compensatory mission to level out the differences that different upbringing conditions provide. But only in two of the country's regions and in a few municipalities is there today a cultural guarantee that guarantees all students a certain number of stage performances during school time and sometimes also performances from Skapande skola. Other students can go through their entire schooling without coming into contact with a performing arts performance or making a museum visit, even though the policy documents for different school forms emphasize the importance of students meeting culture in school.

Many teachers are positive about, for example, taking part in the museums' exhibitions and materials, but finances, lack of time, and geographical distances constitute obstacles for them to be able to realize it.

The Swedish National Heritage Board was commissioned a few years ago to investigate what is required to increase the interaction between schools and the cultural sector, and it was concluded that what is missing in the chain of command is someone who follows up on children's right to culture in school. Vänsterpartiet therefore proposes two reforms: a national performing arts guarantee and an investigation into a new professional role in the school world in the form of a cultural pedagogue. We want every school to have access to a cultural pedagogue who can be the link between the school and culture and the guarantor that cultural forms of expression are integrated into the teaching, that students get to take part in performing arts, and that there is an exchange between schools and cultural institutions such as county museums or county theaters.

When it comes to a performing arts guarantee, we only need to look to our neighboring country Norway to find examples of how one can work in a better way. There, there is a national collective actor, Scenekunstbruket, which selects high-quality performances for children and young people. For almost 20 years, the organization has been the national coordinator for distributing productions through a reform called Den kulturelle skolesekken. The selected performances are then passed on to the regions and municipalities. It is a well-functioning system that has existed for a long time.

One can then ask how it looks in Sweden. Well, here the organization Assitej shows that at present, Swedish cultural workers themselves need to hunt for schools, responsible teachers, cultural coordinators, and grants in 290 municipalities and 21 regions. They have to market themselves, participate in supply days, and schedule tours themselves. All of this can be helped with in Norway. Vänsterpartiet wants to investigate how one could achieve more systematic such work in Sweden.

There are today appropriations through, for example, the Arts Council and the cultural cooperation model that could be used to introduce a national cultural guarantee for all children from preschool to upper secondary school. What is it that prevents the government parties from saying yes to an investigation on introducing the Norwegian model in Sweden? I don't really know.

Last year, Vänsterpartiet proposed this in the Riksdag and it was rejected. This year, it is the Socialdemokraterna who are submitting such a proposal. Therefore, I have stood behind their motion and thus reservation number 1, which I move for.

Another initiative and much-needed reform that is important in schools is staffed school libraries. Here, the government has actually made some good efforts, but I still want to comment on what the member from M stated earlier regarding that 40 million shall go to the public libraries. During the mandate period when S, MP, and V had a budget cooperation, 250 million was allocated to the initiative Stärkta bibliotek. Of that, only the 40 million that Emma Ahlström Köster mentioned remains. It is a much lower sum for the public libraries than what existed during previous mandate periods.

Madam Speaker! A few words about the cultural school. Many have already spoken about this today, so I will scale back a bit on what I had intended to say. Vänsterpartiet considers that the national 100 million that has been spoken about and the 200 million that existed during a period were very much needed for the cultural schools to manage a development work. A good deal have removed their fees entirely, broadened their course offerings and reached new groups.

Many cultural schools have made efforts to reach children with disabilities, who have been underrepresented in the cultural school for many years. A fairly small part of the total budget for the cultural school has thus yielded a very large, very positive return. We want to continue that work and support the municipalities. We also think that the support should be at the level that several have mentioned earlier, i.e., 200 million, as during the pandemic.

We think an injection is needed to remove or reduce the fees. It is not only the municipalities that have a tough economic situation, but the families with children also have it very tough, and today there are few children from families with poor finances who have the opportunity to attend a course at the culture school. We want to invest in supporting municipalities that want to remove the fees. We are allocating 300 million to that in our pot.

Several members have highlighted the long queues to the cultural school. We want to invest in training more cultural school educators. There was an initiative called Kulturskoleklivet, which unfortunately was underfunded. There are long queues in three out of four municipalities. This needs to be resolved to get the situation in order.

Madam Speaker! I want to return to what I initially said about the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, where it is established that all children and young people have a right to culture. It is clear that cultural experiences strengthen children in different ways. For those living under difficult conditions, a book, a moment of painting, or experiencing theater can provide a moment of respite and an opportunity to think about something else. But it can also be a tool for processing one's own experiences and creating hope.

A few weeks ago, we members of parliament were met by protesting clowns here outside the Riksdag. It was the organization Clowns Without Borders that held up a banner for us all to read. The message was very tough. It said: "Soon there will be no children left to play for." They stood here to remind the members of parliament that we need to do more to stop the killing of children in Gaza. The organization has had an operation in Gaza for many years. Their circus and yoga center was leveled during the war now. It was very heartening that they announced last week that they are back in Gaza to continue working with children who truly need joy in their daily lives.

Another organization that has Swedish support is Frihetsteatern, which has existed in the refugee camp in Jenin on the West Bank. They have had support from Sida and Swedish cultural stakeholders. There, children have had a meeting place since 2006, but in December we could read in Svenska Dagbladet that several of their employees have been killed. Theater educators have had their homes searched. The entire management of Frihetsteatern was taken away, and the theater has been taken over by the Israeli army. This is thus what is happening on the West Bank.

By depriving children of culture, one also deprives them of joy and hope for the future. Sweden's Riksdag needs to stand up for large and strong assistance that strengthens the work on children's rights and their access to culture worldwide. We need to do that work together with civil society organizations. Of course, we must also act powerfully for a ceasefire in Gaza and to stop the violence from settlers and the Israeli military, both in Gaza and in the West Bank.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Emma Ahlström Köster (M)

Madam Speaker! I spent many intense minutes listening to Member Vasiliki Tsouplaki and was a little surprised, because I spoke for twice as many minutes about what the government is doing to reach precisely those children and young people that Vasiliki Tsouplaki highlighted. It concerns those children who do not have proximity or a natural way into the culture that is all of ours in common. I highlighted three concrete things that the government is doing: introducing the culture and leisure card, investing in a cultural canon, and investing in reading. The three together constitute a broad palette of investments in our children's and young people's leisure time.

I also noted that the member has a very narrow definition of Swedish culture. There is much more that needs to be done and that can give children and young people a meaningful leisure time, for example film, music, games, literature, food and crafts. All those parts also contribute to a broad culture. It is not just the culture school. It is not just another part. It is all this together and collectively.

The leisure card will be able to reach children and young people who are far away from sports or a cultural activity.

A cultural canon will give us a list to start from - a list that we have in common. It is a fantastic opportunity for those who do not have it naturally.

The initiative on reading is perhaps the largest and most important part. It ensures that children and young people will be able to take part in the wonderful cultural treasure to a greater extent and also enrich their vocabulary and thus be able to be an active part of a democratic country.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Vasiliki Tsouplaki (V)

Madam Speaker! I did not quite perceive any question from the member, so I intend to brainstorm a bit freely on some kind of theme that Emma Köster presents. Of course, one cannot mention everything. A huge amount of exciting, interesting, and important culture for children and young people is taking place every day all around our country.

The cuts we are seeing within the culture school are worrying, and therefore many members have raised them today. They are linked to the municipalities' tough finances but also, as I mentioned, with the fact that many families with children are in a difficult situation and do not have the possibility to let the children participate in leisure activities in either sports or culture.

The leisure card could be a good initiative. I have debated it many times with Roland Utbult, and I am cautiously positive. Getting a card where one can see that they have the right to participate in a cultural school or a sports club can be good. But the problem is what Kristoffer Lindberg previously mentioned, namely that we do not see how this will be implemented in a way that is good for the association life and cost-effective. It also risks becoming a lot of administration.

What concerns us above all is that cultural schools and sports clubs do not have the capacity to accommodate everyone because there is a lack of training times, premises, leaders, and trained educators. The risk is that the 750 million only subsidizes the children who already today have a place in a leisure activity, for example a cultural school. The state will subsidize those who already can afford it if nothing is done to solve all the rest. This is an important issue that the government must address.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Emma Ahlström Köster (M)

Madam Speaker! My indirect question, which was not so clear, was whether the member had not perceived all that the government is doing to reach out and extend a hand to precisely that group that I know member Vasiliki's heart burns for and which she wants to have greater access to culture. I thought I had explained this in a rather pedagogical way.

During your time in government, Member Vasiliki, reading and reading comprehension decreased significantly. I am concerned that Vasiliki and the Left Party do not quite see what the government sees, that is, that the reading initiative is an important part of the investment in children and young people from which we will be able to reap the fruits for a long time to come.

No, one cannot include everything in a speech, and one cannot also convey everything positive about different initiatives. But I believe Member Vasiliki understands what the government wants. We no longer want to just talk about what we already know, that is to say that some stand further away and some we have more difficulty reaching, but we want to do something. Therefore, we are making several concrete initiatives that reach the group we want to reach.

I think it is sad that the Social Democrats and the Left Party are once again falling into anxiety over the practical execution instead of seeing the opportunities and what this will be able to achieve. I am proud of the government's initiatives. I believe that Member Vasiliki also benefits from being positive, because she will get to see that this makes a real difference.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Vasiliki Tsouplaki (V)

Madam Speaker! One must be positive. I am positive about my motion. But one must not be naive, but rather see the warning signals that come from municipalities and the voluntary sector regarding this initiative.

The chairman spoke about when the Left Party sat in the government. We have never sat in a government but hope to do so after the 2026 election.

For many years we pushed for it to be included in the Education Act that every school shall have a school library. We got that through, and in 2010 the legislative change came. But it has turned out that the schools are trying to circumvent this, and therefore the legislation must be tightened: The school libraries shall be staffed so that they are a good support in the pedagogical activities and take up space in the school environment in a good way.

In my main speech, I pointed out that the 40 million they want to highlight as something very positive is, in principle, a reduction for the public libraries. When we negotiated the budget with a previous government, 250 million were allocated for strengthened public libraries, so today's sum is less.

I do not believe that a cultural canon will become a huge hit or that it promotes reading or reading comprehension. But if one believes in that idea, one must ensure that people are given the opportunity to find the books that are to be on the reading lists, and then one needs to go into the practical details, which I am trying to highlight.

Let me finally remind the members that folkbildning is a large area. For many young people, for example, the music activities within the study associations are very important, but here too, cuts are being made. The reason we are not so positive and hopeful is that we see the government cutting back in many areas within civil society, which worries us.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Anne-Li Sjölund (C)

Madam Speaker! I begin by moving for approval of reservation 4.

Culture and leisure for young people has always been close to my heart. That children and young people have access to a meaningful leisure time and get to encounter culture of various kinds is something we all have a shared responsibility for: we politicians who provide the conditions, the school's educators who capture the children's curiosity and lead them further on their journey of discovery, all leaders in associations who devote a large part of their leisure time to giving children a meaningful leisure time, and parents who, to the best of their ability, take their children to museums, read books to them, and watch a film together with them – but above all, encourage their curiosity.

The political levels of state, region, and municipality have a responsibility to ensure that infrastructure exists and to support civil society, which so often is the most important building block for culture and a sensible leisure time to be available year-round throughout the entire country.

Madam Speaker! Many like to gather to cheer on their favorite football team, not least the national teams, or to attend a fine concert. In order for us to be able to participate in these events, we must have a well-developed infrastructure for both sports and culture, which one encounters as early as childhood. Just as a breadth within sports is needed to achieve an excellence, a breadth within artistic professions is needed. The importance of the culture schools, the study associations, and the folk high schools for the Swedish musical miracle and the future professional culture creators should not be underestimated. There is no doubt that the culture school activities have great significance for the individual and for society at large, not least for broadening the recruitment to professional musical life and other cultural activities. It is of great importance that more children and young people get access to the culture school.

Madam Speaker! When children and young people have access to sports, outdoor life, and culture, we can prevent and repair mental ill-health in them. It is a worrying number who suffer from mental ill-health, so a battery of measures is needed here. A meaningful leisure time is definitely one of them.

Sports have much to offer in the form of health, joy of life, and social interaction. Increased physical activity is crucial for better public health and affects the individual's health in a positive direction. Sport plays an important role, not least for local cohesion and engagement and for successful integration and as a common arena that spans across socioeconomic differences. Therefore, a broad sporting life should be promoted throughout the country, and both established and new sports, including digital ones, should become accessible to more people. Sport is good for both physical and mental well-being.

Just as I have nagged about previously here in the speaker's chair, it is important to find out the reasons why girls stop practicing sports earlier, so that effective measures can be implemented. It is also important to appoint an inquiry to identify practical and structural barriers for persons with disabilities as well as measures that instead facilitate participation in parasport. It is also important to review the design of the state's sports appropriations when it comes to accessibility to sports for children and young people from both gender equality, equity, and disability perspectives.

An active leisure life and access to cultural activities is not just a matter of entertainment – it is a matter of justice and opportunities. Through sports, outdoor life, art, music and other cultural activities, our children and young people get not only an outlet for their creativity but also the opportunity to grow as individuals and as citizens of society.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Ewa Pihl Krabbe (S)

Madam Speaker! Yesterday was International Children's Book Day. On that occasion, I would like to take the opportunity to quote Lennart Hellsing, who said the following: "Children who do not have access to literature develop a more limited language, and this can in turn create uncertainty in all possible contexts. A lack of language can breed aggression; we see many examples of that."

Being able to read and educate oneself is ultimately a question of democracy and participation in society and also a question of rights. Language is a prerequisite for obtaining an education, a job and good life chances – we all know that. The research says the same thing. Yet, there are very many children who do not fully master the language, and consequently not the good life chances, and who end up in the situations that I took up in the quote earlier.

Madam Speaker! Four out of ten children and young people say that they have neither read a paper book or an e-book nor listened to an audiobook during the past year. Young people in upper secondary school read books the least, especially the boys. Barely over half of young people in upper secondary school have consumed at least one paper book or a digital book during the period. This survey has been conducted in the report Svenskarna och internet 2023.

The only group where a change in reading habits has occurred since the last measurement is among high school students, where more high school students, six out of ten, have consumed at least one book during the past year. One can also see a trend that more of those attending upper secondary school listen to audiobooks daily.

As we Social Democrats write in our special statement, a variety of measures are needed to stimulate reading for our children, but it is also time to direct even more attention to parents and their opportunity and responsibility to support the young. This can occur through various preventive interventions to support and compensate within the families.

Mödravårdscentraler and child health centers are important actors in, together with public libraries, informing and guiding parents, both mothers and fathers, on the importance of children's language development through reading aloud and reading to and with the children. We know through research that men read less than women, and we know that children do as adults do. Therefore, the fathers' role in stimulating reading among their boys should be particularly highlighted and supported.

Madam Speaker! In the municipality where I have worked my entire life, Östra Göinge municipality, a small municipality in northeastern Skåne, a very good initiative has been taken by organizing "paugakvällar" at the library. That means boys' evenings in standard Swedish, Madam Speaker. There, boys, fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers are welcome for book talks and such. The intention is precisely to stimulate boys to read more by also giving male role models the motivation to see the connection with their children's or grandchildren's reading development.

That funds are now being allocated to introduce staffed school libraries for all students is very good, but efforts will be required to train school librarians in sufficient numbers if the reform is to be able to be implemented and have an effect. The pedagogical competence of after-school centers (fritidshem) could also be utilized in a better way to stimulate reading. There are many good examples to draw from all around Sweden.

Madam Speaker! I turn to the public libraries. According to the Library Act, public libraries shall pay special attention to children and young people in order to promote their language development and stimulate reading, among other things by offering literature based on their needs and circumstances. There is now a new support, which has been spoken about earlier here today, of 40 million kronor per year for initiatives regarding the public libraries' reading promotion work for children and young people. It is good, but it is not enough. The initiative Stärkta bibliotek is also now concluded.

In practical terms, it means that the public libraries, in addition to book and media lending, shall work with various program activities and outreach activities to reach all target groups. Storytime and language cafés for newcomers shall be organized, bookmobiles shall be operated, and visits shall be made to special housing. We must remember that the public libraries are often the only place in the municipality where everyone is welcome regardless of wallet and origin, and that they are often a social meeting point for many people with different needs. The libraries have a unique place in the hearts of Swedes and in our society.

We can observe that public libraries have lagged behind other municipal activities since at least 2000, according to a report from Svensk biblioteksförening in 2021. Between 2000 and 2019, the municipal budgets increased by 89 percent, while the corresponding increase for the libraries was barely half as large, 43 percent.

This nibbling at the edges of the public libraries has led to an erosion that they tell you about when you arrive at the libraries and which is beginning to be noticed seriously across Sweden with closed branches, reduced routes with the bookmobile, and less program activity. In Biblioteksbladet's investigation, it appears that a quarter of all public libraries need to scale back their operations.

The Cultural Council submitted a report on behalf of the government shortly before Christmas, where the experiences from initiatives such as Stärkta bibliotek, Läsfrämjandelyftet, and Bokstart, together with other knowledge gathering from agencies such as the Royal Library for example, form the basis for the report, which gives very clear recommendations on the need for increased permanent state support.

Madam Speaker! In light of what has been said earlier, we Social Democrats would like to point out the need for a national initiative for reading promotion that focuses on preventive work and which continues throughout the entire school period.

I want to conclude with another quote by Lennart Hellsing: "If you want to change society, you must start with the children. Because then it is settled, in some way. Everything must start with the children, otherwise there will be no order in this world."

Culture and leisure for children and young people

(Applause)

The deliberation was hereby concluded.

(Decisions were made under § 14.)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)