sou · H1B376 · 2013-10-31 00:00:00 — Kommunen måste kunna redovisa utgångspunkterna för ersättningsbeloppens storlek som så långt som möjligt ska utgå från de faktiska kostnaderna i kommunens egen verksamhet. Utredningen föreslår en incitamentsstruktur där delar av ersätt- ningen till den enskilda utbildningsanordnare utfaller först när eleven uppnår ett godkänt betyg. Sker inte detta betalas inte den delen av ersättningen ut. av kursens totala ersättning ska betalas till den enskilda utbildningsanordnaren löpande under utbildningen gång. Övriga betalas ut när eleven erhållit ett godkänt betyg i kursen. Utredningen menar att den möjlighet till interkommunal ersätt- ning som kommunerna har inte går att kombinera med ett valfrihetssystem. I ett sådant system är det eleven som själv ska välja en enskild utbildningsanordnare. Hemkommunen kan ha komvux i egenregi och blir då valbar. Men andra kommuner än hemkommunen ska inte konkurrera i valfrihetssystemet vid sidan av de enskilda utbildningsanordnarna. Då uppstår konkurrenshinder som försvårar för enskilda huvudmän att etablera sig och det finns risk för att kommunerna börjar agera kommersiellt. Utredningen anser att detta inte förändrar kommunernas möjlighet till individuella lös- ningar. I de fall valfrihetssystemet inte klarar att lösa individernas utbildningsbehov blir det fullt möjligt för kommunerna, även med det system som föreslås, att samverka vad avser komvux genom kommunalförbund, gemensam nämnd eller samverkansavtal. Det finns fördelar med att Arbetsförmedlingen ges möjlighet att upphandla sfi för nyanlända som omfattas av lagen (2010:197) om etableringsinsatser för vissa nyanlända invandrare (etablerings- lagen). Myndigheten får då möjlighet att på ett helt annat sätt än samordna och anpassa sfi med andra arbetsmarknadsinriktade insatser. Utredningen föreslår att det ska vara möjligt för Arbetsförmedlingen att upphandla sfi i kombination med arbets- marknadspolitiska åtgärder som kan planeras i samband med upp- rättandet av etableringsplanen och bedöms lämpliga för den nyanlände. Upphandlad sfi blir aktuell om det bedöms effektivt och lämpligt för den enskilde att genomgå flera olika etablerings- insatser från en och samma leverantör. Det kan även finnas andra insatser som är lämpliga att kombinera i detta sammanhang, t.ex. arbetspraktik. Det blir då också möjligt att rikta in språkutbild- ningen mot ett visst yrkesområde eller samla personer med samma yrkes- eller utbildningsbakgrund. De enskilda utbildningsanordnare som kan upphandlas av Arbetsförmedlingen ska vara godkända huvudmän enligt vad som gäller för förslaget om valfrihetssystem. Utredningen föreslår att Arbetsförmedlingens möjlighet att upphandla sfi regleras i en egen lag. Det blir inte möjligt för kommunerna att bedriva vuxenutbildning på entreprenad med bibehållet huvudmannaskap när det införs ett valfrihetssystem. Det är inte möjligt att blanda olika upphandlings- former för samma tjänst på samma marknad. Priskonkurrensen skulle då kunna sättas ur spel. Det kan dock uppstå situationer då ingen enskild utbildningsanordnare etablerar sig i valfrihetssystemet för att driva vissa av de kurser som en kommun eller en samverkande region tagit med i sitt utbildningsutbud. Detta förväntas främst gälla gymnasiala yrkeskurser med hög specialisering där få eller inga enskilda utbildningsanordnare har tillräcklig kompetens för att genomföra utbildningen. I sådana fall skulle en kommun stå helt utan utförare av de efterfrågade kurserna. Utredningen föreslår att rätten för kommuner, landsting och enskilda huvudmän att med bibehållet huvudmannaskap sluta avtal med en enskild fysisk eller juridisk person om att utföra uppgifter inom komvux (entreprenad) begränsas till uppgifter som avser undervisning i ämnen på gymnasial nivå som har en yrkesinriktad profil. För sfi ser utredningen inget behov av en entreprenadmöjlighet eftersom flera enskilda utbildnings- anordnare bedöms etablera sig inom ramen för valfrihetssystemet. Utredningens förslag får konsekvenser för elever i vuxenutbildning, kommuner, enskilda utbildningsanordnare och statliga myndigheter. Förslagen om ett valfrihetssystem inom komvux innebär att eleverna själva kommer att kunna välja mellan fler utbildnings- anordnare jämfört med . Eleverna kommer att få ökade möjlig- heter att hitta mer individualiserade lösningar inom ramen för ett bredare och mer varierat utbildningsutbud. Utredningens bedömning är att den incitamentsbaserade ersättningen till enskilda utbildnings- anordnare kommer att påverka elevernas progressionstakt i positiv riktning inom sfi. På grundläggande och gymnasial nivå förväntas fler elever nå kursernas kunskapskrav. För kommunerna innebär ett valfrihetssystem inom komvux att enskilda utbildningsanordnare kan bli godkända som huvudmän för utbildningen och etablera sig i kommunen. Detta kan påverka hur kommunerna kommer att organisera sin egen verksamhet. Skyldig- heten att tillhandahålla rättighetsstyrd utbildning inom komvux kvarstår dock för kommunerna om inte utbildningen på ett rimligt vis finns tillgänglig hos en enskild huvudman. Det föreslagna valfrihetssystemet med statligt godkännande av enskilda utbildningsanordnare som huvudmän innebär att upp- handling av utbildning enligt inte blir aktuell. De föreslagna ersättningsmodellerna för sfi respektive grundläggande och gym- nasial nivå innebär minskad administration för kommuner som upphandlar utbildningen. Kommuner som inte upphandlar utbildning kan behöva utveckla administrativa system för utbetalning av ersättning till enskilda utbildningsanordnare. Erfaren- het av detta finns i de flesta kommunerna bl.a. från utbetalning av ersättning till fristående skolor. Kommunerna har kostnadsansvaret för komvux oavsett om utbildningen bedrivs i egen regi eller upphandlas. Ersättningsnivåer i valfrihetssystemet ska fastställas av kommunerna med kommunens kostnad för den egna verksamheten som utgångspunkt. Förslagen om valfrihetssystem bedöms bli kostnadsneutrala för kommunerna eftersom det inte medför någon förändring av antalet genomförda utbildningar eller förändrade kostnadsnivåer för de enskilda utbild- ningarna. Integration och egenförsörjning är viktiga mål för utbildnings- insatserna. Sammantaget bör förslagen leda till positiva samhälls- ekonomiska konsekvenser i form av t.ex. minskat försörjningsstöd och ökade skatteintäkter för kommunerna. För enskilda utbildningsanordnare innebär förslagen främst att de kan etablera sig i samtliga kommuner i landet med verksamhet. För anordnarna blir det mer långsiktighet och stabilitet i verksam- heten genom att ett godkännande som huvudman gäller tills vidare i stället för de tidsbegränsade verksamhetsperioder som upp- handlas enligt . Enskilda utbildningsanordnare kan i betydligt högre utsträckning än tidigare utforma sin verksamhet enligt egna idéer, vilket också ökar möjligheten att nischa verksamheten och konkurrera med en egen profil. Detta bör också leda till att verksamhetsutvecklingen och innovationsgraden hos de enskilda utbildningsanordnarna kommer att öka. Enskilda utbildnings- anordnare kan nu i högre utsträckning konkurrera med bra kvalitet i stället för med låga anbud. Förslaget att Arbetsförmedlingen ges möjlighet att upphandla sfi för etableringsgruppen i kombination med arbetsmarknads- politiska åtgärder innebär att myndigheten ges större möjlighet att samordna de aktiviteter som ska ingå i en etableringsplan. Möjligheten att upphandla sfi medför ökade kostnader för Arbetsförmedlingen. Ett valfrihetssystem inom komvux innebär ett utökat uppdrag för Skolinspektionen när det gäller tillståndsgivning, tillsyn och kunskapsspridning. Kostnadseffekterna av detta bedöms dock bli begränsade. Förslaget om ämnet SvA grund innebär behov av en ny kursplan som ska ta fram. ska också ta fram riks- prislistor för sfi och för rättighetsstyrda kurser på grundläggande och gymnasial nivå. Kostnader för detta bedöms rymmas inom befintliga ramar. The Inquirys remit is primarily to propose how free choice and individualisation can be increased in Swedish for immigrants (Sfi) education and to consider whether all education in the Swedish language for adult immigrants should in future be provided within the municipal adult education (komvux) and the education for adults with learning disabilities (särvux) systems. The Inquiry shall propose how a system in which a fixed sum of money (education voucher) is allocated to each student might be designed. Furthermore, it shall put forward additional measures for how Sfi can be made more flexible and more individualised at an earlier stage. The remit also includes proposing measures for how cooperation between and within municipalities as well as between school governors and other bodies, such as the and the county administrative boards, can be improved regarding Sfi. Another part of the Inquirys remit is to propose how education in the Swedish language can be better adapted to each students individual goals and to consider whether the should be allowed to procure the education in Swedish that is included in an introduction plan in accordance with the Act (2010:197) on activities for certain new arrivals. If the Inquiry proposes that all education in the Swedish language for adult immigrants is in future to be provided within komvux and särvux, the task of proposing how free choice can be increased in Sfi shall also include how free choice can be increased within the komvux system as a whole. The Inquiry hereby submits proposals for reforms in all the issues covered by the remit. Our ambition has been to put forward a proposal that can be implemented both as part of a single integrated reform as well as in each area independently. This ambition has been reached apart from when it comes to the scope for the to procure Sfi. Certain modifications to the Inquiry's proposals are needed in order to implement that part of the reform independently. The Inquiry proposes that Sfi and Swedish as a second language on the basic level (SvA grund) within komvux be merged into a single programme. The Inquiry proposes that Sfi be the only basic education in the Swedish language for adult immigrants. This changes the basic conditions for maintaining Sfi as a separate form of education. There is a lot to be gained from integrating most of the adult education into the school system as an integrated form of education. It could make things easier for students to receive an individualised education by studying Sfi in parallel with subjects at both basic secondary and upper secondary level adult education depending on their prerequisites and prior knowledge. The Inquiry proposes a national freedom-of-choice system for komvux regulated in the Swedish Education Act. A free-choice system is aimed at achieving better quality and a wider range of educational programmes, and hence more options for the students, as a result of more education providers establishing themselves in competition. The free-choice system for Sfi will be adapted entirely to the prerequisites and progress of the students. This opens the door for a strongly incentive-based disbursement structure in which the Sfi education voucher can be disbursed retroactively once the student has achieved a pass grade in the various courses. The other parts of komvux are still more strictly controlled by the credits awarded on the courses linked to time, which makes a more continuous disbursement structure necessary, although the Inquirys proposal means that a certain proportion of the remuneration is pay- able once pass grades have been achieved for these parts of komvux as well. Even though the free-choice and remuneration systems will be designed slightly differently for Sfi and for basic secondary and upper secondary komvux respectively, the integration into a single form of education should significantly increase the scope for combining Sfi with other komvux courses. If the free-choice system proposed by the Inquiry is implemented, it will lead to most of the education providers who establish themselves in a municipality offering a wider range of komvux courses, which will in turn make it possible for students to study Sfi and other komvux courses under the auspices of the same governing body. Education providers will also be able to specialise in Sfi for students who only request a Sfi programme. It will also be possible to implement the Sfi education voucher proposal and hold back on decisions on other komvux matters. The municipalities will continue to have a responsibility for receiving the students and for decisions on eligibility, and will have an extended responsibility for guidance, for example prior to students choosing their preferred education provider. The municipalities will also retain the option of offering education under their own management. This will be an obligation in cases where no private education providers establish themselves within a reasonable distance as regards the courses to which applicants are entitled. If the Inquirys proposal for a free-choice system for Sfi and for other komvux education is implemented, an increasing number of municipalities will contract out Sfi and komvux or will establish their own free-choice, voucher systems or customer-choice systems. This will give rise to a very disorganised adult education system. Some municipalities will utilise the Public Procurement Act - a procedure that has several drawbacks as regards quality and monitoring of this type of service. A plethora of municipal free-choice systems with different designs and regulatory frameworks will be built up. In addition to the legislation that regulates this type of procurement procedure being unclear, this also makes national monitoring and control more difficult. The Inquirys proposal will create a national free-choice system regulated in the Swedish Education Act, pursuant to which will approve the education providers as governors so that they can run programmes. This means that both quality and regulatory compliance can be monitored in national control and inspection systems. The Inquiry also proposes that the be given the option of procuring Sfi for new arrivals with introduction plans provided that this is tied to other employment policy measures such as work experience, vocational Swedish and/or vocational training and provided that approved governors are procured. This presupposes that the free-choice system is implemented first or at the same time; otherwise there will be no approved governors on the market. An alternative to this is to give the the option of procuring Sfi- equivalent programmes, which are already currently available. The Inquiry considers this to be a poorer alternative, however. is responsible for the introduction reform but difficulties have sometimes occurred when trying to coordinate the measures for which the Service itself is responsible with the activities that come under the municipalities responsibility such as Sfi and civic orientation. Giving the the option of procuring and coordinating different measures at the same education provider should lead to a more effective introduction process for the individual. It is the Inquirys assess- ment that this arrangement will only be relevant for a small proportion of the introduction group, at least in the beginning. For most municipalities, the most effective and best alternative will still be for the to refer students to their home municipality for Sfi. As the extends its routines and contracts more education providers, a greater proportion of the introduction group may become relevant. Under the Inquirys proposal, the will be able to test routines and expand this option gradually. The syllabuses for Sfi and Swedish as a second language within komvux at the basic level (SvA grund) have a great deal in common. For example, they have similar set goals, the same emphasis on language education focusing on communication and they both include literacy skills for individuals who need them. In order to clarify what kind of education will be available to adult immigrants who need tuition in the Swedish language, the Inquiry proposes an integrated Swedish language programme for adult immigrants instead of the two programmes available today. The current Sfi syllabus shall be the starting-point for this new programme. The reasons for this are that the Sfi syllabus has a strong focus on individualisation, that the language tuition explicitly relates to the surrounding society and that it focuses on language use in working life. The fact that the new language programme is to be based on the Sfi syllabus will eradicate most of the need for Swedish as a second language course which is currently offered within komvux at the There is, however, content in the latter programme that is not included in Sfi courses. Some of this content can, in com- bination with a specialisation of the content that concerns reading and analysis of literature and other texts, form a new course in Swedish as a second language within komvux at the basic level. The course shall prepare students for Swedish as a second language 1 within komvux at the upper secondary level and the language level shall not coincide with or overlap that of the Sfi courses. for Education shall be tasked with developing a new syllabus for this course. The Inquiry also proposes a modified system for study paths in Sfi. The starting-point for the three study paths shall be different and be based on the varying needs and prerequisites of the students. Study 1 shall include Courses A, B, C and D, Study 2 shall include courses B, C and D and Study 3 shall include courses C and D. The study paths are built up in this way so as to ensure that the education is based first and foremost on needs and prerequisites of the individual, in a better way than is currently the case. The students dont have to change study paths depending on which course they are studying but can instead follow their study path all the way to the final objective. Swedish for immigrants (Sfi) in komvux The current approach in adult education reflects the structure of the Swedish compulsory school and upper secondary school system. In many respects, this means that students have to finish their Sfi studies before they can tackle komvux at the basic level and only after that start courses in komvux at upper secondary level. A sequential approach based on studies being completed one level or in one form of education at a time. To successfully meet the requirements of todays students, a more holistic view needs to be taken within the adult education system, along with a greater degree of flexibility and individualisation. Such an approach should be based on the regulation laid down in the Swedish Education Act1 stating that the starting-point shall be the needs and prerequisites of the individual, which means that students must be able to choose the courses they need, entirely independent of form of education or level. Furthermore, it shall be 1 Education Act, 2010:800, Chapter 20, Section 2, Chapter 22, Section 2. possible to study courses simultaneously if this is deemed to be in the best interest of the individual. There is no reason why adult education should continue to be divided up into different forms of education. In light of this, the Inquiry proposed that Sfi be discontinued as a separate form of education and is instead integrated into komvux, which will in future consist of three distinct components: komvux at the basic level, komvux at the upper secondary level and Swedish for immigrants (Sfi). Integrating Sfi into komvux in this way will provide greater scope for parallel studies. Integrated legislation clarifies more robust governance towards a common structure. As regards särvux, the Inquiry deems that the syllabus for Swedish as a second language at the basic level does not have the same similarities with the syllabus for Sfi as the syllabus for Swedish as a second language at the basic level within komvux has. The särvux course does not have the same emphasis on communication as in particular the syllabus for Sfi but also the syllabus for Swedish as a second language in komvux has. Neither is the särvux syllabus linked to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFR) in the same way as the other two syllabuses are. Together with the very low rate of participation in Sfi among särvux students, these circumstances provide motivation for the Inquiry not to propose such changes to the syllabus for Swedish as a second language within särvux at the basic level as are proposed for the corresponding course within komvux. The Inquiry has chosen to use the concept of flexibility to describe the students scope for choosing and varying the pace, time and place of his or her studies. The concept of individualisation has been set aside to describe the scope for adapting the education to the students prior knowledge and experience of studies. The scope for flexibility and individualisation is becoming increasingly important. Sfi shall have maximum flexibility; it should not be up to each individual to adapt to an educational programme moulded into one single form. It is instead the educational programme that shall adapt to each individual and his or her special needs. The students must be given the possibility to adapt their studies to their lives otherwise and to be able to change and adapt their studies when their circumstances change. The educational background, other needs and prerequisites of Sfi students vary considerably. A wide array of students needs to be covered. The education must therefore be adapted to each individual so that he or she can complete it at the best possible rate of progress. Clear statutory regulations are important so that municipalities and education providers understand what demands are placed on the education and in order to strengthen the School Inspectorates supervision capabilities. The Inquiry therefore proposes a new provision be introduced into the Education Act stipulating a requirement for the governing body of an educational programme to offer Sfi at times that suit the student. The Sfi education voucher The Inquiry has considered a number of different alternatives to increase the scope for the individual to choose his or her preferred Sfi provider. The Inquiry has found that the Public Procurement Act (2007:1091) is not compatible with a free-choice system. The free-choice models currently applied by certain municipalities for Sfi are not regulated by law or any other statute and have not been tested in court. In connection with the introduction of the Swedish Act (2008:962) on free-choice systems, the Government stated that the legal position was unclear as to whether free-choice models relate to the procurement legislation. In light of this, the Inquiry proposes that a Sfi education voucher system shall be statutorily regulated and funded by the municipality, and that a central agency should be tasked with assessing whether private education providers should be allowed to run Sfi courses. Both the funding and the assessment of private education providers should be regulated in the educational legislation. Such a system would be the best way of ensuring quality, equity, individualisation and flexibility in the education. The Sfi education voucher shall accompany the student to his or her preferred provider. The Sfi education voucher shall be calculated in the same way as the existing mainstream school sum, i.e. based on the costs of the municipalitys own activities. Before a private education provider is allowed to run an educational programme, he or she must first be approved as a governor for Sfi in accordance with the provisions in the Education Act.