Swedish school discipline has become a central election issue for the Liberals, who have proposed removing parents’ ability to block some support measures and limiting classes to 20 pupils as part of a broader plan to reduce disruption and harassment in classrooms.
The proposals were presented on Monday by Liberal Party leader Simona Mohamsson, as she began a campaign bus tour ahead of Sweden’s 2026 general election. The party says its objective is for Sweden to become one of Europe’s leading countries for classroom order.
“We know very well that we are a party that needs to work twice or three times as hard as everyone else,” Mohamsson said, referring to the Liberals’ weak position in opinion polls.
Swedish school discipline becomes an election priority
According to TV4, the package includes a pledge to remove what the party describes as a parental veto over support measures.
Parents can currently decline to cooperate with certain assessments concerning their child’s behaviour, including investigations that could lead to a diagnosis. The Liberals argue that this can delay access to smaller teaching groups, specialised assistance or other forms of support.
“The teacher suspects that an investigation may be needed. Perhaps extra support in a smaller group, but the parents say no,” Mohamsson said, according to Sweden Herald. “This is wasted time for our children.”
The precise legal scope of the proposal has not yet been fully detailed. Under existing rules, a school principal must investigate repeated disruptive or inappropriate behaviour and consult the pupil’s guardians. The school can then introduce measures intended to change the pupil’s behaviour, including educational support or assistance from the student health service (elevhälsan), according to the Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket).
The Liberal proposal appears to focus instead on situations in which parents refuse cooperation with additional assessments or interventions considered necessary by teachers and school staff.
Classes would be limited to 20 pupils
The party also wants to introduce a maximum of 20 pupils per classroom. Its 2026 election manifesto says the limit would initially apply to the first years of compulsory school before being expanded more widely.
The measure forms part of a larger Liberal programme that includes more printed textbooks, increased reading, restrictions on mobile phones, a stronger role for teachers and the transfer of greater responsibility for education from municipalities to the state.
The Liberals have traditionally presented themselves as Sweden’s education party. School policy is particularly important for the party as it seeks to recover support before the election and remain represented in the Riksdag, the Swedish parliament.
The party has also previously proposed creating dedicated support classes in every school for pupils who repeatedly disrupt lessons. Mohamsson has argued that pupils removed from ordinary classrooms should continue to receive both teaching and targeted assistance in smaller groups.
Sweden performs poorly on classroom order
The Liberals’ claim that Swedish classrooms are the most disorderly in the Nordic region is broadly supported by international data, although the overall picture is more complex.
An OECD review published in January 2026, based primarily on the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment, found that Sweden performed below the OECD average for disciplinary climate.
Around 30% of Swedish pupils reported that they could not work well during most or all lessons, compared with an OECD average of 23%. Approximately one third said they were frequently distracted by other pupils.
On the OECD disciplinary climate index, Sweden recorded a score of -0.32, compared with -0.22 in Finland, -0.08 in Norway and 0.03 in Denmark. Higher scores indicate a more orderly classroom environment.
However, the OECD also found important strengths in the Swedish system. Pupils reported particularly positive relationships with teachers and higher levels of teacher support than the OECD average. Swedish schools therefore combine strong interpersonal trust with persistent problems involving classroom disruption, absenteeism and respect for teachers.
Support and discipline remain difficult to separate
The Liberal package reflects a broader debate across the Nordic countries over how schools should balance inclusion, individual support and the right of other pupils to study without disruption.
Removing parents’ ability to block assessments could allow schools to intervene earlier. It could also raise questions about parental rights, medical consent and how schools distinguish between disciplinary problems and behaviour connected to disabilities or unmet educational needs.
Smaller classes and specialised teaching groups would also require additional teachers, suitable facilities and sustained public funding. The Liberals have so far presented the proposals primarily as election commitments, with further details on implementation and costs still expected.
The debate is therefore likely to extend beyond whether Swedish classrooms need greater order. It will also concern who has the authority to decide what support a child requires, and whether Sweden’s municipalities and schools have the resources needed to provide it.
