Almega Education – Code of Conduct
Introduction
Almega Education is a modern trade and employer organization for privately run education. We represent preschools, compulsory schools, adapted compulsory schools, upper secondary schools, adapted upper secondary schools, and other regulated educational activities.
Almega Education is a trade and employer organization independent of party politics and religion. It works to ensure that privately driven education for children and young people is developed and met with respect and goodwill throughout society.
Almega Education shall:
Protect and promote the common interests of member companies.
Advocate for their right to operate on equal terms with corresponding state and municipal operations.
Work for the right of children, students, and guardians to choose the education that suits them best.
Ensure the education industry consists of serious actors with the ambition to conduct high-quality operations.
Protect the right to start and run educational activities.
This work shall lead to educational providers and Almega Education gaining a strong voice in the discussion on Swedish education. This Code of Conduct includes ethical guidelines and serves as a framework for members' ethical behavior. It is directed at everyone affiliated with Almega Education.
1.
Membership and Commitments
To qualify for membership in Almega Education:
Membership is granted to individuals or legal entities whose operations are approved by the Swedish Schools Inspectorate (Skolinspektionen) or another authorized body.
The provider is responsible for ensuring that the education is conducted in accordance with school legislation and other applicable regulations.
Members must follow Almega Education’s statutes, this Code of Conduct, and current legislation.
Members must comply at all times with rules and instructions issued by relevant authorities.
Operations must be conducted based on society’s expectations for high quality and ethics, including high business morals and respect for the reputation of the association and the industry.
Individuals or legal entities not yet approved by the Schools Inspectorate may be granted membership after a special assessment by the Board. A member who no longer meets membership requirements, fails to follow the statutes, or otherwise counteracts the association's purposes may be excluded by the Board after being given the opportunity to respond in writing. Exclusion requires at least a two-thirds majority vote from the Board.
2.
Children and Students at the Center
All members shall:
Put the best interests of students and children at the center.
Strive to provide high-quality education, care, safety, and opportunities for personal development.
Work to ensure every student receives an inclusive and legally secure education that meets legislative requirements and goals.
3.
Member Responsibility
The member shall:
Ensure the organization is managed by competent and structured leadership.
Be ready to fulfill its mission with high quality from the very start.
In the event of a closure, provide clear information in good time to children, students, guardians, and authorities.
Cooperate with relevant actors to support students' educational transitions during a closure.
4.
Openness and Equal Treatment
Independent education must be accessible and open to all children and students, regardless of background or needs. This means:
Admission processes must be transparent.
If there are more applicants than places, admission rules and the Schools Inspectorate’s established selection principles must always be followed.
Members must be clear about which selection criteria are used for each school type and the order in which they are applied.
Admission interviews or tests may only be used when permitted for specific educational tracks.
Members must not use hidden selection principles and must welcome all applicants on equal terms.
Information and communication must always be provided equitably so it is not perceived as discouraging or hindering anyone from applying.
Rules regarding non-fee-paying education and other regulations must be followed according to current laws and grant rules.
5.
Systematic Quality Work and Leadership
Quality assurance shall be a natural part of daily work. This involves:
Promoting a work environment based on commitment, competence, and clear leadership.
Continuously developing educational quality and supporting staff professional development.
Ensuring quality-related issues are addressed and handled regularly.
Working through governance and management to ensure equitable and legally secure assessment and grading of students.
Welcoming both internal and external reviews to develop and improve operations.
6.
Transparency and Communication
Members shall work for openness and transparency, both internally and externally. This involves:
Providing clear information about the education's content, quality work, and operational goals to guardians, students, and other stakeholders.
Using factual and correct marketing in accordance with the joint guidelines developed with SKR (Sveriges Kommuner och Regioner) for responsible school marketing.
7.
Transparency and Openness
Almega Education expects members to:
Demonstrate a positive willingness to cooperate with authorities, municipalities, universities, and civil society to strengthen quality and promote the students' best interests.
Participate in supporting the development of tools for measuring quality and knowledge results that are publicly accessible and understandable.
Make relevant information available quickly and openly to the media and other scrutinizing functions.
Make independent quality metrics available at the unit level on their website or similar platforms to help students and parents assess quality.
8.
Long-term Perspective and Quality
Almega Education expects members to:
Contribute to increased quality throughout the entire Swedish school system through partnership rather than competition with municipalities.
Engage in dialogue with the municipality when establishing, closing, or significantly changing the size of schools to find the best possible consensus.
Support high and relevant requirements for those who own and run schools, provided these do not lead to a disproportionate administrative burden.
Recognize that a surplus in operations is a result of high quality and efficient use of resources.
Use surpluses for necessary reinvestments, such as staff development, and as a buffer for temporary cost increases.
Maintain economic stability to secure the quality of Swedish education.
Guarantee education in a sustainable way that secures students' rights to good instruction, especially during potential closures.
The disposition of a surplus is a decision for each individual member's owner and may include dividends. However, if the Schools Inspectorate has issued an injunction with a fine (vitesföreläggande) due to quality deficiencies that remain unaddressed, dividends should not be paid. If a member chooses to issue a dividend, resources must be set aside for both the fine and the correction of deficiencies, and this must be reported transparently if requested.
9.
Ethical Guidelines and Ethical Council
Almega Education’s Ethical Council serves as a resource for the Board regarding compliance with this Code of Conduct. The purpose is to ensure that member operations are conducted in accordance with industry ethical standards.
The Council can:
Initiate a case regarding potential breaches of the code, either independently or at the request of the Board or the Association Director.
Recommend measures to the Board, including training, warnings, observer listing, or, in extreme cases, exclusion from the association.
Determine that no action is required.
10.
The Role of the Board
The Board has the ultimate responsibility for maintaining high ethical standards within Almega Education and ensuring this Code of Conduct is followed. The Board receives and handles reports of ethical violations and makes decisions on measures. A review of the Code of Conduct and guidelines shall be conducted annually and revised by the Board as needed.