The school's compensatory mandate

The compensatory mandate is a fundamental part of the Swedish education system. Under the Swedish Education Act (SFS 2010:800), education must be equitable and take account of students' differing needs and circumstances. Equity does not mean that teaching must be identical for everyone, but that the school should actively level out differences arising from students' background and living conditions. Every student should receive the support, guidance, and stimulation needed to develop as far as possible in relation to the goals of their education.

The Swedish national curriculum for compulsory school, the preschool class, and school-age educare (Lgr22) places particular emphasis on the school's responsibility for students at risk of not reaching the goals. Teaching must be adapted to each student's individual needs and circumstances, while the school must promote both academic and personal development. Since 2015, a lack of accessibility has been regarded as a form of discrimination, which means the school is obliged to create learning environments where all students are given the opportunity to participate and learn.

Student health services play an important role in this work. Under the Swedish Education Act, the efforts of student health services should primarily be preventive and health-promoting and should help support students' development toward the goals of their education. The mandate covers not only individual support for individual students, but also work to develop the school's learning environments and create good conditions for students' learning, health, and wellbeing. The Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket, 2023) stresses the importance of carrying out student-health work systematically and integrating it into everyday school life in order to achieve lasting results over time.

National reviews show, however, that schools often place greater emphasis on remedial measures than on preventive work. The Swedish Schools Inspectorate (Skolinspektionen, 2021) notes that the expertise of student health services is not always used to its full extent in promotional and preventive work, even though governing documents and research highlight the importance of early intervention. Well-functioning preventive work is crucial for identifying barriers to learning, strengthening students' wellbeing, and creating accessible learning environments for everyone.

The school's mandate also extends beyond knowledge development alone and includes students' social and personal development. The curriculum highlights the importance of a safe school environment, respect for human rights, and the development of empathy, responsibility, and the ability to cooperate. The school must actively counter discrimination and degrading treatment and work to create an environment characterized by safety, participation, and respect. Preventive and health-promoting student-health work thus becomes a central part of ensuring equitable opportunities for learning, development, and participation for all students.