The new language tests for preschool staff in Gothenburg have produced a remarkable result: so far, no one has passed. The outcome now raises questions about competence in the welfare sector – and how the situation could have become so serious.

Gothenburg Municipality introduced digital language tests for newly hired preschool staff after several years of political debate. The aim was to ensure that staff have sufficient Swedish language skills to support children’s language development—something long recognized as crucial, especially in areas where many children do not speak Swedish at home.

However, after the tests were implemented, they revealed significant deficiencies.

According to recently published reports, none of the tested candidates have so far reached a passing level.

Intended to improve quality

The decision to introduce language tests followed repeated warnings that children were not developing sufficient Swedish language skills and would therefore struggle when starting school. For example, the magazine Vi Lärare (We Teachers) has reported that many students begin primary school without being able to speak Swedish, despite attending preschool for several years.

– Preschool is where the foundation for the Swedish language is laid, said Gothenburg City Council Chair Jonas Attenius (S) when the decision on the language tests was made.

At the same time, there has long been criticism that staff with poor language skills have been employed in welfare services, often due to staffing shortages combined with a goal to recruit based on diversity. Preschools and schools have also often served as integration points for migrants.

The consequence of this policy has been that children have effectively been left to learn Swedish from staff who themselves do not master the language—even at a basic level.

A widespread—and long-known—problem

Gothenburg is far from alone. As early as 2013, an inspection by the Swedish Schools Inspectorate found that 20 out of 30 principals reported having staff with language deficiencies.

Municipalities have tried to address the problem in different ways. In Botkyrka, similar language tests for new staff have been in place for several years, while in Malmö, the municipality has attempted to facilitate children’s language learning by rotating native Swedish-speaking staff between different departments.

A sign of systemic failure?

The language tests in Gothenburg were intended to establish a clear minimum standard. The fact that no one passes instead points to a deeper issue.

The results indicate that this is not a series of isolated cases, but a structural deficiency in which individuals without sufficient language skills have been able to work—or apply to work—in positions where language is central and critical to children’s development.

A political battleground

Language requirements in welfare services have been a politically charged issue in Gothenburg for several years.

Proposals for language tests have been both halted and reinstated following shifts in political power, with significant disagreement over how strict the requirements should be. Several opposition parties, for example, wanted the tests to include already employed staff, something the red-green administration rejected. Critics have also argued that language tests could make it harder to recruit staff.

Children’s language development in focus

Helena Lückner, a preschool teacher and vice chair of Sweden’s Teachers in Gothenburg, has repeatedly described children’s insufficient Swedish skills as a major failure, and argues that language tests for staff are an important tool to ensure children have access to the Swedish language.

– If you are going to work in education with the youngest members of society, you need to master good Swedish both orally and in writing. That children who have attended our preschools for four to five years cannot speak Swedish well enough is a major failure, she says.

The issue has also reached the national level. In February, the government commissioned an inquiry into the introduction of mandatory language screening for young children.

– The Swedish language is the key to participating in education, making friends, and eventually establishing oneself in working and social life. Yet many children start preschool and school without sufficient knowledge of Swedish. This creates early exclusion. Breaking this cycle is one of the most powerful investments we can make in health, integration, and social cohesion, said Social Minister Jakob Forssmed (KD).

The inquiry’s findings are due no later than August 24, 2026.

It is already clear, however, that the language tests in Gothenburg—which were intended as a tool to ensure quality—have instead exposed a much larger problem.