Sweden Debates Value of Fiction in Schools

Martin Aagård questions the purpose of teaching fiction in Swedish classrooms. He notes a recent directive from the Swedish government to Skolverket—the national agency for education—asking how a cultural canon can be integrated into curriculum. Aagård views this as a lack of trust in teachers’ expertise and a push for top-down cultural control.

He observes a growing reading crisis in Sweden, reported in the trade publication Vi Lärare, which complicates quality literary instruction. Many teachers seem to prioritize simply encouraging reading by confirming students’ existing interests, rather than pursuing classic education. This approach makes selecting texts dependent on specific classrooms, with some suggesting that any reading is positive.

Bjarne Engström, a high school teacher, previously expressed resistance to lists of significant literature, believing those compiling them lack understanding of students’ lives in towns like Fagersta. Aagård argues prioritizing “how things are here” over core knowledge undermines the idea of equal education. The discussion about canonizing works continues, as familiarity with important texts enables more informed disagreement.