Liberalerna leader Simona Mohamsson announced the proposal at a press conference, stating that the party wants to see help classes in every school for students who disrupt teaching. According to Mohamsson, Sweden is in the bottom league of the EU regarding classroom discipline. She described the current situation as a "Wild West" that cannot continue, adding that children do not achieve passing grades because classrooms are too disruptive.
The proposal is not new; a similar idea was presented a year ago, according to multiple reports. The reform is estimated to cost 2 billion SEK. Mohamsson wants municipalities to cover the cost themselves, noting that they have a surplus of 32 billion SEK. However, she does not rule out state compensation if needed. "An investigation will have to look into that," she said, referring to the specifics of funding and implementation.
Mohamsson also outlined other education policies, including capping class sizes at a "lagom" (appropriate) level, previously mentioning 25 students as a cap. She promised to eliminate "glädjebetyg" (grade inflation) and increase the number of books in school libraries. The party aims to prioritize these issues if it wins the election this autumn.
Several details of the proposal remain unclear. The specific criteria that will determine which students are placed in help classes have not been defined. Mohamsson said the measure would apply to students who "repeatedly show behaviors that are unacceptable," such as calling a teacher a swear word. How the help classes will be staffed and what training teachers will require is also unknown. The timeline for implementation, should Liberalerna win the election, has not been announced. Additionally, the current number of disruptive students and how many help classes would be needed have not been specified.
Mohamsson acknowledged the challenges of implementing the proposal, noting that she does not have 51 percent support in parliament or the government. "But we continue to fight," she said. She also emphasized the need for order and discipline in every classroom, stating that the party will ask the Swedish people for continued confidence to lead a conservative school policy shift.