A proper breakfast is a prerequisite for managing a long day, whether you’re at school or at work. This is what the Tidö government claims as they introduce what they call ‘language breakfast’ in so-called marginalized areas.

One in four 15-year-olds does not have sufficient reading skills, and students with a foreign background and poorer socioeconomic conditions perform worse in primary school than Swedish students. Therefore, the government is now proposing yet another initiative for this group, with language training and additional investments in books and homework help in the spring supplementary budget for 2026.

The initiative applies to students in preschool class and grades 1–3, and 30 million SEK is allocated for this purpose during the autumn term of 2026. The funds are to be used for staffing and breakfast costs. For homework help or other schoolwork outside regular teaching hours, an additional 50 million SEK will be provided for 2026. The government grant can be applied for by the principal authorities for lower primary and upper secondary schools.

Another issue that is now being allocated more funds is that many students lack basic reading ability and that children and young people are reading fewer and fewer books. In 2024, a government grant was introduced for the purchase of literature, amounting to 500 million SEK annually. Now, the government proposes to strengthen the grant with an additional 50 million SEK for 2026. The funds will be distributed to principal authorities for preschools, primary and equivalent schools, upper secondary schools, and special upper secondary schools.

— It is important that more children learn the language and become skilled readers. That is why we are now allocating funds so that students in socio-economically vulnerable areas will receive extra Swedish language training through language breakfast. We are also increasing access to homework help and boosting the budget for the purchase of literature, which can help increase daily reading, says Minister for Education and Integration Simona Mohamsson (L).

Press conference:

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