Skolan – öppen eller stängd för politiska partier? : En studie om skolans tillgänglighet för svenska partier efter Sverigedemokraternas inträde i riksdagen

This is a study about the relation between the Swedish school and the political system of Sweden. I wanted to see if the relation had changed since the election of 2010 as it was in that election the Sweden Democrats got over five percent of the votes and took seat in the Swedish parliament. The thing that is unique about this election is that it was really the first time a right-wing party had been elected into the Swedish parliament. Many experts argue that this is the first xenophobic party that has been elected into the Swedish parliament. This led to a problem for schools and their principals and a difficult question to answer because xenophobia is contrary to the school’s core values and the school’s democratic mission. Should the school still be open for political parties? How do schools manage to distinguish between political information and political propaganda? If parties still are welcome into the schools, which parties should be allowed? The equality ombudsman has said in a report that the schools have to comply with the principle of objectivity, which stipulates that the public sector has to be unbiased. I have chosen to make use of a qualitative method because I think the study then gets a deeper understanding of the topic. However, it does not provide the same opportunities for generalization as a quantitative method does with a greater range of participants. This study has concluded that Swedish schools are still open for political parties. They have not been scared to invite parties. Schools still arrange debates, and allow political information tables inside their buildings. The principals are of the opinion that the schools should be an open part of the society.