Club the school digitalization strategy now, Fridolin!
The government has taken a number of interim decisions, in the form of curriculum changes, as part of implementing a strategy for school digitalization. As a result, most people believe that digitalization is 'on the move'. This is not true. Many of us IT providers can attest to the fact that municipalities are holding back on resources until the government also decides on the overall strategy. We therefore appeal to Minister Fridolin to ensure that this decision is taken immediately.
A comprehensive national strategy for school digitization will come within the next few months, promised Minister of Education Gustav Fridolin during a meeting with a large delegation from IT&Telecom companies last November. In March, the government decided on changes to the course and curricula for primary and secondary schools, which means that programming and other forms of digital creation are explicitly included in the policy documents, which we welcomed as a good first step on the way.
But since then there has been silence on the issue. So quiet that we are increasingly concerned to see that many municipalities are now slowing down the pace of digitization of schools - in stark contrast to the government's stated ambition that Sweden should be the best in the world at taking advantage of the opportunities of digitization. What is really happening?
As suppliers of digital solutions, we meet daily with leading people in Swedish schools across the country who flag with concern that school digitization has lost momentum. The perception is that Sweden's municipalities are not taking their responsibility as a result of the current ambiguity surrounding the government's strategy for the digitization of schools. At present, it confuses - or the lack of it - instead of serving as a support for decisions.
The National Agency for Education has submitted its proposal - an ambitious and well thought-out plan - for a national strategy for school digitalization. The government has also used this as a basis for making wise decisions on changes to curricula, syllabuses and subject plans. But the decision on the crucial overarching national strategy is still missing.
The lack of decisions on the issue creates great uncertainty in the school system and we are now seeing the consequences of this, in the form of a process that seems to have come to a complete standstill. One concrete example we see is that principals are now reprioritizing competence development efforts in schools, as they do not feel that there are any sanctions for going against the proposed digital strategy.
We respect the fact that the government has chosen to break out the decision on curricula, syllabi and subject plans. We also understand, and even welcome, the fact that the Ministry of Education wants to shorten and clarify the National Agency for Education's proposed objectives in its strategy. At the same time, this is where the policy starts to falter. Because it cannot be reasonable that it should take more than a year from the time a proposal for a strategy, which everyone agrees is reasonable, is presented until it is adopted and decided? What are you not saying or what do we not understand, Gustav Fridolin?
Many months have passed, our children are on summer vacation, but we know that you Gustav are working a few more days, at least until Saturday when you give your party leadership speech in Almedalen. We now look forward to hearing you say that, as Minister of Education, you are now keeping your promise and taking your responsibility for the government to swiftly approve the proposal for a national strategy for the digitization of schools. The decision is absolutely necessary for Sweden's municipalities to know what applies and in turn take their responsibility for ensuring that all children and young people get the best conditions, and that teachers and principals get the skills they need to build the world's best school. Sweden's schoolchildren deserve it.
Örjan Johansson, National Business Area Manager School Atea
Joke Palmkvist, Business Area Manager School and Higher Education Microsoft
Lars Kry, CEO Sigma IT Consulting
Per Grape Founder One Agency Sweden
Lars Wiigh, Business Development Manager IBM Nordic
Carina Wiman, Head of Partners and Business Development, Tieto Education
Fredrik von Essen, Business Policy Expert, IT&Telecom Industries
...
The facts
In April 2016, the National Agency for Education presented a proposal for a national strategy for school digitalization to the government.
The vision of the strategy is to
- all children and students develop adequate digital skills.
- the school system is characterized by taking advantage of the opportunities offered by digitalization so that digital tools and resources help improve results and make operations more efficient.
- All children and pupils will have a more equal opportunity to develop digital skills.
In June 2016, the National Agency for Education presented proposals for changes to curricula, syllabi and subject plans. These were adopted by the government on March 9, 2017.