Wed, 12 Nov, 2014 12:05:06 AM Bill abolishing compulsory Swedish language teaching in schools FTimes - STT Report, Nov. 12  Experts expressed opinions to the parliamentary body regarding the bill proposed to abolish compulsory Swedish language in Schools in the parliament on Tuesday. Photo – Lehtikuva. Mandatory Swedish language teaching in schools became a question of equality, when the Parliament Education and Culture Committee heard a panel of experts on a citizen-led initiative to abolish compulsory teaching of Swedish language.
Different views were expressed about whether compulsory Swedish weakens or improves students who come from different family backgrounds through equal study choices.
Experts opposed to compulsory Swedish argued that teaching of Swedish language occupied space, which otherwise could be used to teach more useful subjects.
Swedish language class at a school in Helsinki. File Photo – Lehtikuva. They also argued that resources used for compulsory Swedish are inappropriately more compared to that used for Finnish language owing to the reason that Swedish is not used in everyday life and many do not benefit from its use in work life.
According proponents of compulsory Swedish, Swedish has many benefits including in the labour market.
They also argued that making the teaching optional would not lead to increase in teaching of other languages.
Experts expressing opinions in the parliament on the bill on Tuesday. Photo – Lehtikuva. The committee was also interested to know whether it is possible to ease to some extent the requirement which stipulates that officials should demonstrate Swedish language skills.
The committee also deliberated on the best way to deal with teaching of languages and the widening of Finnish language skills.
The bill proposes that teaching of Swedish language in schools be made optional. According to the proposal, the language and education policy should ensure that students who do not study Swedish have equal opportunities in further studies and career as their counterparts.
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