Government to invest in gender equality in schools

Minister for Education Jan Björklund and Minister for Integration and Gender Equality Nyamko Sabuni have presented the Government's decision to invest in gender equality in schools. A total of SEK 110 million is to be invested to enable the establishment of a gender equality committee, the continued professional development of teachers, improved student health and the recruitment of more male teachers.

Terms of reference for the Committee for gender equality in schools

A committee will be appointed to highlight and improve knowledge about gender equality in schools using as a platform schools' responsibility to teach fundamental values. The remit covers both municipal and independent schools, as well as Sami schools and special needs schools.

Instructions from the Government to promote gender equality in schools

The Government is giving the Swedish National Agency for School Improvement the task of planning and implementing measures aimed at promoting gender equality in compulsory school and equivalent school forms, upper secondary school and adult education. This remit covers both the state school and equivalent independent school systems. The remit will include improved student health, and the continued professional development of teachers and other school staff in the area of honour traditions and sex and relationship education. Education on the subject of gender roles will also be provided.

Instructions from the Government to promote a more even gender distribution in teacher education

The Government has given the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education the task of looking into - on the basis of existing research and knowledge in the area - the gender differences in study choices regarding the various specialisations in teacher education, why more men than women choose to drop out of teacher education, which higher education institutions have implemented strategies to increase the proportion of men in teacher education programmes and which of these strategies have been successful, what proportion of men go on to work as teachers after finishing their teacher education, the gender differences among students enrolled in teacher education as a distance course or part time; and factors affecting the decisions of women and men to become teachers.

The Swedish National Agency for Higher Education is to propose suitable measures to help achieve a more even gender distribution in teacher education. The remit also includes sharing best practices with the higher education institutions concerned.