Juridification of equal treatment in Swedish education – a solution to what problem?
Maria Rosén, Uppsala University, maria.rosen@rut.uu.se
In previous research on juridification in relation to Swedish education, the education policy on equal treatment appears to be of particular interest among scholars. The policy (SFS 2006:67), which came into effect 2006, aimed at promoting equal rights for children and pupils, and combat discrimination and other degrading treatment. With the policy followed a range of new accountability initiatives, such as quasi courts like the Child and School Student Representative, which gave pupils increased possibilities to exercise their rights. Issues earlier regarded as educational were thereby transformed into legal issues and judicial processes (Colnerud, 2014). Altogether this has changed the conditions of every day school life (Bergh & Arneback 2016), and set in motion a variety of processes shaping acts and relations in education (Arneback 2012, Hult & Lindgren 2016, Runesdotter 2016). Despite these comprehensive changes, we lack knowledge of how and why the policy came about.
The study aims at developing knowledge on the formation of the education policy on equal treatment in Swedish education. More precisely, it analyses what kinds of problems the policy was expected to solve. Using a discourse analytical approach (Laclau & Mouffe 2008, Bacchi 2009), this is done by a text analysis of national and international policy texts produced during around 1995-2005, starting with the Government Bill (2005/06:38) which proceeded the policy.
The preliminary result shows that the policy process leading to the education policy on equal treatment comprises several parallel – as well as antagonistic - processes at different arenas; the European policy arena as well as different ministries at the national arena, aiming at solving various problems. The results are expected to serve as a basis for a discussion on what kinds of problems the juridification of equal treatment becomes a solution to. This raises questions about aims and means of education, specifically regarding the value dimension of education.
Key words: equal treatment, rights, juridification, policy, discourse analysis, values
References
Arneback, E (2012). Med kränkningen som måttstock: om planerade bemötanden av främlingsfientliga uttryck i gymnasieskolan. Örebro: Örebro Studies in Education, 34.
Bergh, A & Arneback, E (2016). Hur villkorar juridifieringen lärarprofessionens arbete med skolans kunskaper och värden? Utbildning & Demokrati 25(1), p.11-31
Bacchi, C (2009). Analysing Policy: What´s the problem represented to be? Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Pearson, cop.
Colnerud, G. (2014). Lärares yrkesetiska dilemman och den ökande juridifieringen i Sverige. Nordic Journal of Applied Ethics (8)2, p. 22-30.
Government Bill 2005/06:38. Trygghet, respekt och ansvar. Om förbud mot diskriminering och annan kränkande behandling av barn och elever. Stockholm: Utbildnings- och kulturdepartementet.
Hult, A & Lindgren, J (2016). Med lagen som rättesnöre – kunskapsformer i lärares arbete mot kränkande behandling. Utbildning & Demokrati 25(1), p. 73-93.
Laclau, E & Mouffe, C (2008). Hegemonin och den socialistiska strategin. Göteborg/Stockholm: Glänta/Vertigo.
Runesdotter, C (2016). Avregleringens pris. Om juridifieringen av svensk skola ur skolaktörers perspektiv. Utbildning & Demokrati, 25(1) p. 95-111.
SFS 2006:67. Lag om förbud mot diskriminering och annan kränkande behandling av barn och elever.