Swedish government presents plan to stop new Christian schools

"Religious influence does not belong in school", Axelsson-Kihlbom said when presenting the bill banning new denominational schools. According to her, schools should convey knowledge, not religious indoctrination.

The Christian Swedish daily Dagen reports that Axelsson-Kihlbom also stated that her party, the Social Democrats, wants to ban existing denominational schools. However, that does not have enough support in parliament. Instead, the government is moving forward with a bill to stop new establishments. The proposal is now being referred to the Law Council. This council will now review the bill for legal validation. The council's pronouncements are not binding but are usually adhered to.

Permission

According to the bill, no new schools with a denominational focus will be given permission to start. Existing schools must be allowed to continue but may not expand their activities beyond what they are currently allowed to do.

However, according to the Minister of Education, the Swedish parliament adopted these stricter rules in June are not enough. "We must take further steps; we must go to the root of the problem."

Axelsson-Kihlbom stated that there had been "many examples" of anti-democratic activities in denominational schools.

Fight

Axelsson-Kihlbom is not alone in her fight against independent schools. As CNE.news reported earlier, the Prime Minister of the country, Magdalena Andersson, held a press conference in which she again criticised denominational schools. If it were up to Andersson, Christian schools could no longer take dividends and make a profit. "The pursuit of profit and fragmentation of the school drives segregation", the Prime Minister said.