Inclusion, exclusion or segregation : Parents' position in education in Sweden

In Sweden, along with the changing governing model in terms of centralization, decentralization, marketization, and privatization of education, as well as the performative turn in education (Lindblad, 2018), the overarching values of the Nordic model, such as social justice, equality, equal opportunities, integration, and democratic participation for all students irrespective of social and cultural background and abilities (Imsen, Blossing, & Moos, 2017; Lundahl, 2016), have been challenged. These challenges have also affected the relationship between home and school, and parents’ position in education. The aim of this presentation is to describe, analyze, and discuss how Swedish parents’ position in education has been constructed in educational policy and practices over time. This presentation addresses parents’ position regarding (a) how their role and responsibilities in education have been defined and argued for in the policy documents and (b) what their real position in education has been. The analysis is based on a review of selected central educational policy documents such as Education acts, the Government Official Reports series (SOU), national curricula from various periods since the 1960s, and relevant research literature in the Swedish education context. Preliminary analysis revealed that the rationales behind the policies are linked to the various phases of Swedish educational reforms. Since the decentralization, marketization, and privatization reforms, more demands have been placed on parents’ responsibility and ability to engage in education by themselves. Ideas about parents’ involvement have shifted more focus to parents’ supporting role in children’s learning outcomes and academic performance regarding the curriculum goals. There is a gap between the rhetoric of school–home partnership and collaboration and the reality of parental involvement and influence. The issues of segregation between different parent groups and parent exclusion due to different socioeconomic and cultural/linguistic conditions have increased.Symposium: THE NORDIC MODEL OF EDUCATION AND HOME-SCHOOL RELATIONS