Differentiated curricular policies for pupils with foreign background: strategy to guarantee equity or mechanism to perpetuate social reproduction?

Author(s):

GUADALUPE FRANCIA

Conference:

ECER 2009

Network:

25. Research on Children's Rights in Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

25 SES 02, Children's Rights and Policy Issues

Paper Session

Time:

2009-09-28

11:15-12:45

Room:

NIG, Seminarraum

Chair:

Solveig Hagglund

Contribution

This paper discusses the subject "Swedish as a second language" (SSL) as a target strategy to guarantee the right of children with foreign background to an equitable education in Sweden. Since 1995 pupils with foreign background whose first language is not Swedish may study SSL as a subject instead of the curricular subject "Swedish". SSL as a special target subject was introduced to help foreign background children to get the proficiency required to study their other school subjects in Swedish. The Swedish National Agency for Education stipulates similar achievement goals and proficiency requirement for SSL and for the subject "Swedish" (as a first language). SSL is equivalent to the curricular subject "Swedish" as regards the eligibility for admission to university or other post-secondary study. The differences between these two curricular subjects are based on the first- versus the second language acquisition perspective used when teaching it. The right and opportunity to study SSL is guaranteed both in compulsory and upper secondary school. This paper aims to present a historical analysis of the introduction and development of SSL in Sweden. It also aims to discuss political, educational and scientific research arguments for and against the introduction of different curricular subjects for different pupil groups as a strategy to guarantee children's right to equity.

Method

The study presented in this contribution used the following methodology: -Text analysis of political documents from period 1995-2008 concerning the introduction and development of the Curriculum Subject "Swedish as a second language" (SSL). -A comparative text analysis of the syllabus for the curricular subject "Swedish" and of the syllabus for the curricular subject "Swedish as a Second language" (SSL) during the period 1995-2008 -A comparative text analysis of work plans and evaluation criteria at the school level for the curricular subject "Swedish" and for the curricular subject "Swedish as a Second language" (SSL). -Analysis of evaluation reports of the implementation of the curricular subject "Swedish as a Second language" (SSL) at the school practice during the period 1995-2008 -Analysis of static data concerning ethnicity, gender, social class and academic result of the target children's groups receiving instruction in "Swedish as a Second Language" (SSL).

Expected Outcomes

SSL was introduced as a target strategy to guarantee foreign pupils’right to equitable education in the Swedish school system in 1995. In spited of the introduction of SSL, foreign background pupils are still overrepresented in the category “pupils not achieving the required goals for basic eligibility for national programmes at upper secondary school”. Moreover SSL is often seen as a lower status curricular subject by parents and students with foreign background. Fourteen years after the introduction of SSL in Sweden it is time to reflect if differentiated curricular subjects for foreign background pupil's can paradoxically contribute to perpetuate instead of reducing school inequalities for social and ethnically segregated groups. Even if this analysis is based on the Swedish experience, it can contribute to a better understanding of differentiated curricular policies impacts on equity in other European contexts.

References

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Author Information

GUADALUPE FRANCIA

UPPSALA UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

UPPSALA

186

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