Christian preschool Sweden free to do table prayer

A Swedish preschool, named Åliden's preschool, does not have to pay a fine for saying table prayers. The Court ruled that the conditions for the penalty were not sufficiently specified by the municipality which handed out the fine.

The Administrative Court ruled that the Children, Education and Culture Committee in the municipality of Flen did not specify which conditions at Åliden's preschool were deficient.

At the end of January, the municipality of Flen criticised the preschool for its table prayers at meals. According to the politicians, the children's participation in the prayer was not voluntary enough, Dagen reported earlier.

Sweden demands Christian school to stop table prayers

02-02-2022

Furthermore, according to the politicians, the school's work plan was not compatible with the law's requirement that education has to rest on a scientific basis. They referred to the school's teaching that everyone is uniquely created and loved by God, Världen idag specified at the time.

Therefore, the municipality required the preschool to submit written documentation describing the measures to remedy the shortcomings, Dagen writes. The report was due on March 15. If the preschool did not hand it in, it would be penalised with a fine of 10,000 SEK (about 960 euros).

The school chose to appeal the decision and was now proven right by the Administrative Court in Linköping. The judge ruled that the municipality's inspection might not have been carried out correctly. According to Jan Rosman, the preschool principal, it is "welcome to do a new inspection."