Response to interpellation 2023/24:376 on NPF students and suicidal ideation
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
The debate concerns measures to ensure an equal education for students with neuropsychiatric diagnoses (NPF) and to reduce risks of suicide 1. L considers the situation to be very worrying and that interventions are required at several levels 1. L argues that schools need better conditions, that support must be implemented earlier, and that the government is implementing initiatives for more special teachers and special teaching groups 1. L emphasizes the need for a broad reform to improve student health and that cooperation between different actors must function 1. L also considers that curricula and grading criteria need to be reviewed 1.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Statsrådet Lotta Edholm (L)
Mr. Speaker! Nadja Awad has asked me what measures I intend to take to ensure that students with neuropsychiatric diagnoses receive an equivalent education given what is presented in the interpellation.
I want to begin by saying that the situation for students with neuropsychiatric disabilities, NPF, is very worrying. The high and alarming risks for students with NPF regarding suicide and self-harm are very serious and must be addressed. Interventions are required at several levels and from numerous actors in society, not least within the school, which is my area of responsibility as School Minister.
I note that far too many students do not receive access to effective support measures in a timely manner. This also applies to students with NPF. Schools therefore need better conditions to be able to meet the students' needs. The support must also be implemented earlier than it is today. The Government is implementing, among other things, large-scale investments so that schools can employ more special education teachers and establish more special education groups. We are also ensuring that more people can train to become special education teachers. The Government is also improving the principals' opportunities to strengthen cooperation between school and social services and increase attendance for students through the investment in school social teams. The Government has also appointed an inquiry that is to submit proposals for a national absence register that will enable systematic follow-ups at several different levels, where among other things aspects concerning NPF shall be particularly considered.
There is a great need to improve student health, among other things so that the school can better meet the students' needs regarding their physical and mental health. It appears from the Tidö Agreement that a broad reform shall be made to improve student health and that the student health's care mandate should be reinstated. It is important that cooperation between student health, health and medical care, and social services functions across the entire country so that, for example, students with mental ill-health receive the right interventions in time.
It is also necessary that we review today's curricula and grading criteria because there is a large variation when it comes to the students' cognitive prerequisites, including students with NPF. The knowledge requirements that are set, especially for grade E, need to be reasonable. The Government therefore decided on December 14 last year on the committee directive A clearer knowledge orientation in the curricula (dir. 2023:173).
Furthermore, the possibilities to follow up on how it goes for students with disabilities in school must be good. The investigation on more knowledge about children and students with disabilities in the school system presented its report in December, and the proposals are being prepared within the Government Offices right now.
That students with disabilities suffer so poorly that they attempt to take their own lives is nothing less than a serious failure that I and the government take very seriously.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.