The Swedish government has instructed the National Agency for Education (Skolverket) to propose how a cultural canon can be integrated into relevant parts of the governing documents for schools, according to multiple reports. The agency is also to develop support for how the canon can be used in education. The initiative aims to give students common cultural references, regardless of background, as stated by Minister of Culture Parisa Liljestrand in a press release. Liljestrand said that Sweden's cultural canon can be a possible support for teachers to select works and events to teach about while school students get common cultural references, regardless of background.
Separately, the government has tasked the Swedish National Heritage Board (Riksantikvarieämbetet) with developing a digital platform to spread knowledge about Sweden's cultural canon to the public. The National Agency for Education must consider this digital platform in its work, ensuring coordination between the two agencies. The specific works or events to be included in the canon have not yet been determined, and the criteria for selection remain unclear.
The National Agency for Education must report on its assignment no later than May 31, 2027. Questions about how the canon will be integrated into the curriculum, the budget for the digital platform, and teacher training for using the canon have not been addressed in the government's directive.