| Swedish adult education on the EU | | Print | |
| Hetty Rooth | 28.04.2009 | National Affairs - News items [en] [sw] | ||||||
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Swedish adult education is now receiving extra state funding for providing information on the EU parliamentary elections. The Government hopes that the voting turnout will increase and that citizens will increasingly come to realise that it is possible for a private individual to influence the setting of the EU’s priorities. The funds are part of a three-year investment programme. The Swedish Government has set aside 15 million kronor for targeted information on the EU over the period 2009-2011. Adult education organisations can apply for the funds which must be divided between various specified areas of knowledge in each budget year. These guidelines, which have been drawn up by the Government, are to be used as a basis when the funds are granted to the study organisations which register their interest. The Government has decided that in 2009 some of the subsidy should be used for adult education on the election to the European Parliament. The work may, for example, focus on questions such as why we vote for the European Parliament, or what decisions in the EU might mean for citizens. The Swedish Government hopes that this will increase interest in the election to the European Parliament. In the previous election in 2004, just under 38% of residents entitled to vote in Sweden actually voted. And statistical calculations in the run up to this year’s election to the EU Parliament show that the level of information is still quite low. In a report a few months ago, two out of three Swedes responded that they didn’t know what the election was about. It is now hoped that the focus within adult education will encourage at least 40 % to vote this year. The state subsidy to adult education is distributed centrally by the Swedish National Council of Adult Education (Folkbildningsrådet). The General Secretary of the Council, Britten Månsson Wallin, thinks that it is right to use adult education as a channel and meeting place in order to strengthen democracy. “Adult education has the experience and skills to increase the provision of adult education on the EU and climate issues”, Britten Månsson-Wallin has commented. |
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