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REPLY. Swedish folkbildning enables people to access education and training throughout the country. Study circles, evening classes, and local seminars help people grow in community. The strength of public education is its freedom: that people freely and voluntarily explore society and the world. In this way, folkbildning differs from conventional forms of education. Both during the last century and in today’s society, with the gaps that now exist, popular education is invaluable for democracy.
Serious accusations
That is why the recent suspicions and allegations of cheating and inaccuracies in public education are so serious. Criminal networks and anti-democratic forces must never be allowed to use fiscal resources intended to strengthen a democratic society. Of course, we take the allegations against the Ibn Rushd student union seriously, as well as the fact that the Järva, Stockholm student unions were found to be cheating with grant funds.
We face new challenges where criminal networks deliberately enter public education to access state subsidies.
Aje Carlbom, Magnus Ranstorp, and Peder Hyllengren state in Expressen Debatt that Ibn Rushd collaborates with organizations and individuals who spread hate, anti-Semitism and deeply problematic views on democracy and gender equality.
Problematic elements
The criticism of Ibn Rushd has been going on for a long time and last year we did an independent review of the study association. Professor Erik Amnå stated in his research that Ibn Rushd makes many good contributions, but that there are also problematic elements based on the objectives and conditions of state funds for public education. We are now investigating the new information that emerges in the discussion article.
In their debate article, Carlbom, Ranstorp, and Hyllengren also highlight the extensive and systematic deception with contributions to public education in the Järva area of northwest Stockholm. This was discovered through internal control in various study associations. They discovered, among other things, that the double complaint of participants and the false cost complaint, the money destined for public education had ended up in criminal hands.
Tighter control of grants
Following the discovery, the student unions have implemented a series of measures to prevent, counteract and detect cheating. The Folkbildningsrådet has also recently decided to tighten the conditions for subsidies to student unions and strengthen control so that money is used in the right way. But it’s not enough. More action is needed.
We face new challenges where criminal networks deliberately enter public education to access state subsidies. It is an organized crime that uses several systems and several authorities in parallel. In this matter, we actively collaborate with the National Department of Police Operations, Noa.
Government grants to student unions will go to public education and nothing else. We can never accept that tax money earmarked for public education is misled or used to counter democracy.
By Catharina Håkansson Boman
President of Folkbildningsrådet
Ulf Melin
Vice President of Folkbildningsrådet
Maria Graner
Secretary General of Folkbildningsrådet
