The public costs of the re-structuring of adult education : A case in point from Sweden

• The present paper takes up a concrete example of education restructuring, that of adult education in Gothenburg, Sweden in recent years. This example has been studied through ethnographic data about changes to the supply of basic adult education – an education that is given to adults who have a school education below that provided by the compulsory school – and upper secondary adult education – an education at an approximately ‘A’ level and/or NVQ level. SFI education, Swedish for immigrants, has been focussed in particular. Sfi is important in relation to the restructuring in Gothenburg as this was initiated there first, based on decisions in the Gothenburg Municipal Council in 1999, near to the completion of the National Adult Education Initiative. The restructuring processes followed guidelines from the 1992 Purchasing Act and had consequences for all education suppliers, but in particular one of them, an adult education company called Studium Ltd, which was created in 2001 when the municipal adult education service (Komvux) was converted into a municipal company. Studium was the largest deliverer of adult education in 2001 but lost its contracts during tendering and is now on the brink of bankruptcy. From having had over 3000 sfi students in 2001, for which they were fully reimbursed, Studium now has less than 250 such students on role and a reduced budget for each student. As disclosed in a recent City Audit, the local tax-based economy footed the bill of the conversion processes and salary costs of under employed Studium employees. Public funds paying for the conversion of public services to private seems to be a consistent element of education restructuring according to international research.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap -- Pedagogik (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences -- Pedagogy (hsv//eng)

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