AFP
January 12, 2010
STOCKHOLM — The Swedish government said Tuesday it would abolish affirmative action at universities since the practice has resulted in male students being given admissions priority for several popular programmes.
"The education system should open doors -- not slam them in the face of motivated young women," Higher Education Minister Tobias Krantz wrote in an article in Sweden's leading daily Dagens Nyheter.
The government has allowed universities to practice affirmative action since 2003 in order to encourage an equal number of men and women at the country's universities.
Criticism has raged in Sweden recently after male students have been given priority to popular programmes where men are under-represented, in particular the medicine, psychology, veterinary and dentistry faculties.
For those programmes in particular, there are more women applicants with top grades than men, yet the men are admitted because of the affirmative action rule.
Women represent about 60 percent of university students in Sweden, a pioneer in gender equality.
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