School law continues to upset
The debate about the celebration of the end of the school year inside a church, a Swedish tradition, continues. According to the new school law, no religious elements are allowed to be included, however pastor Ann-Louise Trulsson says she will still say: “Gud välsingne er” (God bless you).

“The school inspection won’t get me,” she says. Trulsson is a pastor in Fridlevstad parish in Blekinge. In spite of the change of the school law last year, she won’t change how she plans the celebrations, and will end her speech with the words: “God bless you and have a wonderful summer” as always. Says Claes-Göran Aggebo, head of the subdivision at the Swedish Board of Education: “It’s a blessing regardless of whether you cut it in half or do the full thing.”
Though no religious elements are allowed, children are still allowed to sing the popular psalm “Den blomstertid nu kommer” since, according to the Swedish National Agency for Education, it is a tradition. Trulsson doesn’t think the school law is consistent. “Ought we not to just throw out the psalm books, since the children are met with the Profession of Faith when they open them?” Aggebo doesn’t agree: “The thought behind this is that all parents, regardless of faith, should be able to send their children to school without the risk of having them influenced when it comes to politics or religion.”

One church, in Gränna, earlier this year decided that Prayers must be part of 'Skolavslutning'