The purpose of the present paper is to examine the political debate on the education of newly arrived immigrant pupils at secondary school age. The following issues are under scrutiny:

• What are the goals, expressed by politicians during the examined periods, for the education of newly arrived pupils?
• What ideas about education and what educational ideals can be observed in the political debate on the education of newly arrived pupils?
• Has there been any change, during the examined period, in the policy debate on the education of newly arrived pupils?

The research material consists of reports and statements of the Education Committee, as well as a number of parliamentary protocols. Two five-year periods, 1971-1975 and 2006-2010, are studied and compared. All in all, the material consists of 23 documents issued during these periods. Drawing on theories about formation, power mechanisms and the political development in general, a so-called dimensional map is generated so as to prepare for an analysis of the ideas central to Swedish governmental policies of immigration and education. Toward the backdrop of this dimensional map, the paper presents a descriptive analysis of the key ideas in the policy debate. In previous research, there is no study of this kind.

The types of schools available for newly arrived pupils during the two time periods lack the guidance of systematic plans or official curricula. The study shows that there is little policy debate about education of newly arrived pupils and that there is no developed concept of formation used in the debates. The political silence surrounding the education of newly arrived pupils may be interpreted as a way of excluding this issue from the agenda.

Views upon the education of newly arrived pupils have gone through subtle changes between the two examined five year periods. In the 1970s, the school situation of newly arrived pupils was treated as a call for political and structural solutions. In the 2000s, however, the political solutions tend to be imposed upon the individuals. The main objective of the education of newly arrived pupils is to provide them with an opportunity to learn the Swedish language and hence to improve their chances at entering higher education or getting employed.