Örebro's schools are not adequately funded

We have adopted the budget for primary education in Örebro. I suspect the governing coalition is quite satisfied. Much is pointing in the right direction according to them, and the budget is full of words like equity, quality, pupil welfare and early intervention. But do not be fooled — this is a cuts budget, again. The budget variance has now reached 50 million kronor, and the solution is an action plan after the fact. That is not governance; it is fire-fighting. How is quality supposed to improve when the finances are already in free fall?

This text was originally written in Swedish and translated into English by Claude, Anthropic’s AI assistant.

As pupil numbers fall while costs for premises, pupil welfare, school transport, meals and administration rise, it is the schools themselves that bear the brunt. The deductions per pupil for shared administration costs and meals are steep. In practice this is a reverse compensation. Schools with the greatest needs lose the most in absolute terms, even as equity is declared a priority. Per-pupil funding is eroded before it even reaches the classroom. Politicians dodge responsibility and shift the burden to the headteacher’s desk. Larger classes, fewer adults and less support — or whatever they are forced to resort to. This is troubling.

Pupil welfare — which is vital — receives no clear additional funding, only reprioritisation within existing resources. That is not investment; it is wishful thinking. Yet everyone knows that pupil welfare, attendance work and early intervention require staffing and continuity. You cannot improve pupil welfare without additional resources.

Teachers’ working conditions are set aside. The aim is to be an attractive employer, reduce sick leave and increase the proportion of qualified teachers. At the same time the organisation is being pushed harder, with uncertainty, reorganisation and reduced local discretion. These are two goals that conflict. The risk of increased staff turnover and rising substitute costs as a consequence of the cuts is ever-present.

The child’s perspective is sidelined when finances always come first. Their admission that the budget sets the limits of what is possible is honest — but also revealing. The requirements of the Education Act become secondary when the budget does not hold. That is their political choice.

We in Örebroliberalerna make entirely different choices. We believe in knowledge, early intervention and a strong compensatory mandate. We know that living on hope alone is not enough for better outcomes. For every child to be able to read at an early age, succeed in school and feel safe throughout the school day, resources must follow need. That is why we want to strengthen per-pupil funding so that money actually reaches the classroom, reduce class sizes in the early years when foundations are laid, and expand pupil welfare services with more professional roles that can work preventively and long-term. Pupils with special needs should receive support early and without unnecessary bureaucracy, and study and career guidance should be a self-evident part of every school’s mission.

Headteachers must have real authority to lead their schools — through resources and room to act, not by being forced to carry the consequences of political underfunding. School must not be the place where financial constraints set the limits of children’s futures. That is a political choice. Örebroliberalerna chooses to prioritise children’s right to knowledge, safety and a good start in life.

For Örebroliberalerna

Mats-Olof Liljegren (L) Spokesperson on school matters, 2nd Vice Chair of the Primary School Board

Lena Hansson (L) Member of the Primary School Board