Government investigator Joakim Stymne proposes that independent schools and preschools with deficiencies should not be allowed to expand for a certain period. The proposal includes a ban on expansion through acquisitions and mandatory statements from municipalities on long-term impacts. The aim is to ensure quality and regulatory compliance in the education system.
Government investigator Joakim Stymne presents proposals in a DN debate article to limit the growth of independent schools and preschools that are not performing well. According to Stymne, independent actors with serious deficiencies have been able to continue expanding without permission, which is now to be stopped. Principals and owners who have recently been subject to supervisory interventions should not be able to expand existing operations or start new units for a certain period.
Stymne also proposes a ban on expanding operations through the acquisition of other schools or preschools. "This provides a strong incentive for owners and principals to ensure good quality and regulatory compliance in their existing operations," he writes. To sharpen the permit review, he wants to introduce mandatory statements from the affected municipality to the Schools Inspectorate. These statements should assess negative economic, organizational, or pedagogical consequences extending beyond three years after establishment.
"The statement should form the basis for the Schools Inspectorate's review of whether an establishment entails negative economic, organizational, or pedagogical consequences beyond a three-year period after the establishment," Stymne emphasizes. The proposal stresses that the right to operate schools with public funds is a trust that must be earned over time. The article was published on January 8, 2026.
