Roger Akelius, who bought nearly a quarter of the shares in the school group Academedia, sees a future where rich parents can pay for their children to go to independent schools. The idea is flatly rejected by the education minister.
“All students must have equal opportunities and all students must be met by high-quality school activities. The general welfare must be protected and strengthened”, writes Lotta Edholm (L) in a comment to TT.
Likewise by the Social Democrats.
– We must have a public school that gives all children a good and equal chance in Sweden and it must be financed via the tax bill, says Åsa Westlund, school policy spokesperson.
She likes the deal shows that the school system needs to change.
– It is so strange that an important business with so many schools and students can suddenly end up in the hands of almost anyone.
Åsa Westlund, school policy spokesperson for the Social Democrats. Photo: Alexander Mahmoud
One of the first things Akelius did after the purchase became known was to say that he will push to stop the dividends in Academedia. However, Westlund is skeptical that anything will change.
– It is very naive to think that the pursuit of profit will abolish itself, she says.
The Minister of Education comments not the individual case, but states that the free school system suffers from “unhealthy forces” and that the government is therefore changing the free school policy.
“Everyone should be able to trust that the independent schools put the students’ right to knowledge before the owners’ profits”.
