Livskunskap – en gränsöverskridande praktik i skolan

Abstract

Life Competence Education (Sw. livskunskap) is a new school subject that has developed in Swedish schools over the last decade. Life Competence Education is non-mandatory and lack national guidelines, due to which there are no unanimous definitions. Consequently, Life Competence Education can be just about anything: Some schools apply cognitive programs to train pupils’ social and emotional competences, whilst others use this new subject as a way of contextualizing sex and relationship education (a. a.). Despute the divergent interpretations of what Life Competence Education should consist of there are some common features in local curricula, such as prevention (and solving) of bullying and segregation, gender equity, relationships, ethics and values. These themes harmonize well with the concerns of childhood studies, where the marginalization of childhood is highlighted. Life Competence Education can be seen as an example of schools’ attempts to integrate children and childhood into society.

Keywords

• Life Competence Education
• livskunskap
• discourse
• school agendas
• policy documents