Swedish government wants to extend compulsory schooling
Sweden’s right-wing government want children to start school at the age of six, starting from the autumn semester of 2028.
“It’s one of several reforms to teach children to read and write properly,” said Education Minister Johan Pehrson.
Increasing the Swedish grundskola – primary up to and including lower secondary school, or ages 7-15 – from nine years to ten years was part of a government-commissioned inquiry as early as 2021 and was also an ambition of the former centre-left government.
In 2018, Sweden introduced a compulsory “preschool class” for six-year-olds before they started school, so the compulsory element of schooling is already ten years. But instead of preschool class, children would from 2028 jump straight into the first grade of primary school.
“There will be an increased focus on learning to count, read and write early,” said Pehrson.
The government is expected to formally put a bill to parliament in November.
Swedish vocabulary: autumn semester – hösttermin
Green Party gains support in new poll
The Green Party is enjoying its strongest support in Dagens Nyheter/Ipsos polls since January 2016, currently polling at 7 percent.
The swap of leaders in the past year may be behind the success, as well as the party having changed its external communication to focus more on the climate and environment and less on social issues, according to Ipsos public opinion analyst Nicklas Källebring.
The party appears to be stealing votes from the Social Democrats, who have fallen to 31 percent.
The Left Party gets 9 percent in the poll and the Centre Party 5 percent.
On the right wing, the Sweden Democrats are polling at 21 percent, the Moderates at 19 percent, the Christian Democrats at 4 percent and the Liberals at 3 percent.
Swedish vocabulary: support – stöd
Half of Swedes happy with their sex life
Swedes are having less sex, according to a new study by the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education (RFSU).
Thirty-three percent of respondents told the survey they had had sex with one partner between one and five times in the past month, and 28 percent had not had sex at all.
Sex within a relationship is falling, with previous studies suggesting that people are too tired and stressed. But RFSU argued that it need not only be a negative, suggesting that changing priorities, gender equality and respecting your partner could also be factors at play.
But according to the study, half of Swedes are happy with their sex life, although that is also falling. More women than men are happy, with 28 percent of the men telling the survey they were very or fairly dissatisfied with their sex life.
Swedish vocabulary: sex life – sexliv (if written as two words, sex liv, it means “six lives”)
How will Sweden’s new budget affect foreign residents?
The Swedish government will present its autumn budget on September 19th. The Local has looked into how the proposals we know about so far, like measures to attract foreign talent and money for Swedish classes, could affect foreigners living in Sweden.
Swedish vocabulary: a proposal – ett förslag
re compulsory schooling, having experienced both the UK system where they start age 4 (or the year they are 5) and the Swedish system at age 7 the age 7 way is much better, they are physically and mentally developed and ‘ready to learn the English system pushes children way before they are ready. it’s just another ploy by the corporate globalist elite to get their ‘slaves’ back to work ASAP with a state run free child minding service i.e. School!! and sadly Sweden is albeit slowly walking into it age 6 now, then 5 in a few years and so on, very sad.