News | 31 January 2025
IES comments on inquiry into the introduction of basic Swedish
An inquiry into basic Swedish and mother tongue instruction has been submitted to the government. IES welcomes the focus on the Swedish language and asks for clearer recommendations on mother tongue.
Today (Friday 31st January) the inquiry into basic Swedish and mother tongue instruction was submitted to the Swedish government. The background is that the government wants to investigate how mother tongue instruction affects integration, knowledge development and academic results.
Internationella Engelska Skolan (IES) believes that the inquiry has highlighted important issues and welcomes the focus on the Swedish language, but at the same time considers that the inquiry does not provide sufficiently clear recommendations regarding mother tongue instruction.
Annakarin Johansson Sandman, head of academics at Internationella Engelska Skolan, said: "We welcome a new curriculum for basic Swedish as it enables teaching at the right level for all students regardless of background. The Swedish language is necessary to live in Sweden, and the best way to learn new languages is to master at least one language properly. Therefore, more teachers are needed for Swedish as a second language, but also with the competence to teach basic Swedish.
"It is welcome that mother tongue instruction as it is designed today is being questioned. For example, it is problematic that the mother tongue grade can carry the same weight as other subjects where teaching takes place for significantly more hours, has qualified and certified teachers, and national tests. Here we would like to see clearer recommendations from the inquiry."
The conditions for success in Swedish schools are based on the ability to master the Swedish language. It is a prerequisite for success in school, in further studies and later in working life. Internationella Engelska Skolan works consistently to give pupils this foundation, both in Swedish and English.
Linda Öholm, head of public affairs at IES, said: "IES provides bilingual education. It is crucial to master the Swedish language to be able to become bilingual or trilingual. Not semi-lingual. Today, there are many obligations to comply with regarding mother tongue instruction for school operators. At the same time, there is an unclear national purpose and also shortcomings in the supervision of quality. Here, legislators should take a stand so that schools have clear guidelines to follow."
Internationella Engelska Skolan has 31,000 pupils, of whom 49% have a foreign background (compared with 27% for Sweden as a whole). In total, 92.3% of the recent graduating class of IES students were eligible for upper secondary school, compared with 83.7% for Sweden as a whole. During the 2023/2024 academic year, 81.3% of all IES students who left year nine achieved a passing grade in all subjects. The corresponding figure for the whole country was 71.9%, including IES – which means that IES students contribute to raising the national average.
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More information, from the Swedish government: https://regeringen.se/pressmeddelanden/2025/01/utredning-foreslar-att-grundlaggande-svenska-som-andrasprak-infors-i-skolan/