Letter writer: Mohamsson’s view of Swedish-language education is racist

Abolishing Swedish as a second language in Sweden’s primary schools would be the wrong move, writes Hanna Ekstedt, a certified teacher of Swedish and Swedish as a second language. She responds sharply to Education Minister Simona Mohamsson’s criticism of the subject.

Mohamsson has described the program as a form of racism based on low expectations, saying it is unkind to children not to believe in them. Ekstedt rejects that argument and asks what is racist about teaching vocabulary and grammar through second-language research when those elements cannot receive the same attention in ordinary Swedish classes.

The teacher acknowledges that the organization of the subject is far from perfect. She places much of the problem at the administrative level, where she says decision-makers often lack knowledge about the program. She also points to the shortage of qualified Swedish-as-a-second-language teachers.

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I think it is a kind of racism based on low expectations. I think it is unkind to children not to believe in them.

Ekstedt argues that better Swedish skills require an expanded second-language program across the country and at every level. She says children born in Sweden who have weak Swedish skills should not automatically be viewed as evidence that the subject itself has failed. In her view, the program can raise expectations for students’ performance and language development when competent teachers receive proper organizational support.

She concludes that Mohamsson’s statement that everyone should have the right to learn Swedish in the same way is itself racist. The letter is presented as the writer’s personal opinion.

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The goal must be that everyone has the right to learn Swedish in the same way.