Education in Sweden

Terminology

Förskola (literally "preschool"), colloquially daghem or dagis, is the kindergarten. Grundskola is the 1-9 grade primary school. Gymnasieskola (literally "gymnasium school") is the three-year secondary school. Högskola (literally "high school") is a tertiary school (formally translated to university college, less formally to university) and universitet (always translated to university) is a tertiary school with postgraduate education.

Historical terms include småskola ("small school") and folkskola ("people's school") for primary school and läroverk ("learning institute") for secondary school. Formerly, högskola usually meant a one-faculty school – usually professionally oriented – while universitet contained many faculties.

Choice

Students in Swedish primary schools have very limited choice regarding their curriculum. Students cannot usually make any decisions about their education until the fall term of the sixth grade, where students can choose a foreign language (most often Spanish, French, German, and sometimes other languages such as Russian, or extra English or Swedish) and which handicraft course the student wants to take, where carpentry or sewing is offered. A similar situation applies to most other subjects. This is the result of a concerted effort to streamline curricula, in the hope that this will favor students from families with lower levels of educational attainment. Critics claim it has lowered results significantly among talented students without raising them within other groups.

All students between 12–15 years old take mathematics, English, Swedish, a foreign language, "Naturorientering" science (physics, chemistry, biology, technology), "Samhällsorientering" social science (social studies, history, religion, geography), physical education, art, music, carpentry or sewing, and a course in home economics. In many schools the course "Elevens Val" ("The Student's Choice") is offered, which can include, for instance, drama, an extra foreign language, or help in different subjects.

The Swedish School Plan also highly encourages an individualistic education in which each student has their specific needs met. The students are also encouraged not only to participate in student councils but also to actually form the education they desire together with their teachers, choosing which books to read and how to balance practice with theory depending on which the individual student finds most enjoyable to learn from.

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Homeschooling is very in extent and heavily regulated.

Primary and secondary school

The educational system in Sweden is based on a nine-year primary school, or "Grundskola", with mandatory attendance. Following this comes an elective three-year secondary school, or "Gymnasieskola", which is divided in two instances where you either prepare for higher education or receive vocational education. The preparatory instance allows for specialization in either natural sciences or social sciences.

Grading

Pupils do not start receiving official grades until the 6th grade. Three grades were until recently used in elementary school: Pass (godkänd (G)), Pass with distinction (Väl godkänd (VG)), and Pass with special distinction (Mycket väl godkänd (MVG)). The grades were usually referred to by their abbreviation. Note that a failing grade did not exist as a formal grade. If the student failed to pass a course, this was reported as ***, referring to a footnote explaining that the pupil "lacks foundation for a grade". Many people, however, considered 'failed' (Icke godkänd (IG)) to be an actual grade and often referred to *** as such. Compared to course grades, failed tests were often actually marked with IG. This was, however, dependent on the preferences of the teacher and did not make any difference.

However, from the autumn of 2011, a new grading scale has been introduced into the Swedish school system: A, B, C, D, and E as passing grades and F as failing. B and D work as filling grades, for when a student hasn't reached all objectives for C or A but has reached most of them. If the student can't be graded, e.g. extensive truancy, the student will receive a dash instead of an F. If a student is on the verge of receiving an F in a certain subject/course, the teacher responsible for that subject will notify the student and the student's parents. If a student is given an F, they will receive a written review of how to improve themselves.

The pupil's total score, which is used for application to gymnasium, the secondary schools, is calculated by taking the pupil's subjects and numerically adding them together, with E = 10, D = 12.5, C = 15, B = 17.5, and A = 20, yielding a maximum possible score of 340. It is normal for a pupil to have 17 grades, as most study a third language – traditionally German or French, but in recent years Spanish has increased in popularity. If a pupil doesn't study a foreign language he or she instead studies extra Swedish and English. He or she will then only receive 16 grades and cannot reach a higher score than 320.

The sixteen subjects used to calculate the total must include the three core subjects – English, Swedish, and Mathematics. If the pupil fails any of the core subjects, she or he lacks qualification to attend secondary school. However, the student can still attend the secondary school individual program (individuellt program (IV)), either to gain competence in the core subjects and start a secondary school program or to complete the individual program and satisfy the requirements for a student degree (see below).

Secondary school

Secondary school, called gymnasieskola, lasts for three years (however, some students study for four or more years for various reasons) and is formally elective, although most attend it, and there are very few prospects for those who do not attend. Secondary school is divided into so called "programs", i.e. different types of choices of educational focus. The two most common "programs" are "social science" (samhällsvetenskap) and "natural sciences" (naturvetenskap). The "programs" are further divided into orientations. There are currently seventeen different "national programs" (centrally defined program curricula) with between two and four centrally defined orientations. In addition, there are local programs and orientations, but most schools use the national programs. From the autumn term of 2011, there became eighteen national programs, six college preparatory programs, and twelve vocational programs.

The programs are divided into two general categories: preparatory and vocational. All programs give basic qualification to attend university, but preparatory programs typically satisfy more of the various special qualifications that are required to attend some university courses and programs.

Just over half of upper secondary students follow one of the thirteen vocationally oriented programs. These programs must include at least fifteen weeks of workplace training over the three-year program.

The courses that a student takes depending on program and orientation can be divided into four levels: core subjects, program-specific subjects, orientation subjects, and individually selected courses. Core courses are courses that everyone, regardless of program, must study to satisfy the requirements for a student degree. Program-specific courses are the additional courses that a student is required to take to fulfill the program requirements. If a student for some reason does not fulfill the requirements, for example, by electing to replace a program-specific course with another course, the student is considered to have attended a specially designed program, which has no bearing except for what's printed on the school leaving certificate. Orientation subjects are the courses that a student elects to take by selecting an orientation. Normally these courses take place in the second and third year, although in a few cases the courses start earlier. Finally, individually selected courses are courses that the student freely selects for herself/himself in the second and third year; specific slots have been set aside in the curriculum and the schedule for these.

Admittance

To attend secondary school, the prospective student applies to attend a certain program at a certain school, competing for entrance based upon his/her elementary school grades. In a few cases, such as the arts program (Estetiska programmet (ES)) at certain schools, the student applies for both the program and the orientation. Some programs, generally the arts program and certain local programs/orientations, have some form of entrance exam in addition to the elementary school grades.

International schools

As of January 2015, the International Schools Consultancy (ISC) listed Sweden as having 107 international schools. ISC defines an 'international school' in the following terms, "ISC includes an international school if the school delivers a curriculum to any combination of pre-school, primary or secondary students, wholly or partly in English outside an English-speaking country, or if a school in a country where English is one of the official languages, offers an English-medium curriculum other than the country’s national curriculum and is international in its orientation." This definition is used by publications including The Economist.

Independent schools

Prior to the 1990s, there were only a handful of private schools in Sweden, mostly tuition-funded boarding schools, whereof Sigtunaskolan and Lundsbergs skola are the most well known. A major education reform in 1992 allowed privately run schools offering primary or secondary education to receive public funding for each student, at a level similar to what public schools receive. These are called "independent schools" (friskolor), and in 2008 there were around 900 of them.

The "independent schools", similar to charter schools in the United States or academies in the United Kingdom, are funded with public money (skolpeng) from the local municipality, based on the number of pupils they have enrolled, in the same way Swedish public schools are. Consequently, they are not allowed to discriminate or require admission examinations, nor are they allowed to charge the students any additional fees. They are, however, allowed to accept private donations. Regional economic differences directly affect how much money each municipality can provide per pupil, by as much as SEK 50,000 (around US$7,700 or £4,700).

Anyone can start an independent for-profit school, or a chain of such schools, in Sweden. Many of them offer an alternate pedagogy (such as Montessori), or a foreign/international, religious or special needs (such as hearing-impaired) profile. There are also several secondary schools with an elite sports profile. Internationella Engelska Skolan and Kunskapsskolan are the two largest "independent school" chains. In 2008, more than 10% of Swedish pupils were enrolled in "independent schools".

Opinions

The "independent school" system has divided public opinion in Sweden. During the 2010 election neither political block suggested abandoning the program. A poll conducted in 2011 by Synovate found that Swedes who want to ban companies from operating schools for profit outnumbered those that don't. The Swedish model has been put forward as a possible model for similar solutions in both the United Kingdom and the United States, where Per Unckel, County Governor of Stockholm and former Conservative Minister of Education, in 2009 summarised the advantages of the Swedish system in an opinion piece produced by the Libertarian think tank Pacific Research Institute: "Education is so important that you can’t just leave it to one producer. Because we know from monopoly systems that they do not fulfill all wishes".

In February 2013, The Guardian published an article on independent school system in Sweden - "Sweden proves that private profit improves services and influences policy - Even education unions came on board when private provision was introduced into Swedish schools", citing the paper on average educational performance made by research institute under the Swedish Ministry of Employment, IFAU, which found "that an increase in the share of independent-school students improves average performance at the end of compulsory school as well as long-run educational outcomes". However, in June 2015, another article by a different correspondent from The Guardian suggested that the system was "a political failure", and that standards in learning had dropped dramatically over the years, and was in a state of "crisis".

Tertiary education

Completing secondary school on a vocational program with full classes on a three-year curriculum does provide a basic qualification for further studies. However many times tertiary education is required before being admitted at university or university college. Post-secondary education is provided by Municipal "KomVux" schools (short for KOMmunal VUXenutbildning, lit. "Municipal Adult Education"), and independent boarding schools named Folkhögskolor (or People's High Schools in English).

Instead of opting for higher education, a student from a vocational program in secondary school is able to apply for what is called Qualified Vocational Education or "Kvalificerad Yrkesutbildning" (KY). Training programs such as these are popular. This form combines education and practical experience from business or industry in the chosen field. The level of education is essentially post-secondary but can also contain courses that meet the requirements of tertiary education.

For post-secondary education, the KomVux and the Qualified Vocational Education in some ways correspond to what is offered by community colleges in the United States.

Higher education

After gymnasieskola, students can apply to a university in order to receive a tertiary education. General academic degrees are offered by public universities and university colleges that tend to attract students on a regional basis. Besides general academic degrees, the higher education system in Sweden also provides a number of professional and vocational degrees in fields such as engineering, law and medicine.

As of autumn semester 2011, higher education is free of charge only for Swedish, EU/EEA, and Swiss citizens.

On 1 July 2007, a new higher education system came into effect in Sweden. Higher education became divided into three levels: basic level (grundnivå), advanced level (avancerad nivå), and doctoral level (forskarnivå). The new changes also included removing several professional / vocational degrees (yrkesexamina) as well as redefining other pre-existing degrees.

Basic level (grundnivå)

To be admitted to a programme at the basic level, a student must complete an education at the gymnasieskola level or its equivalent. The degrees that can be obtained at the basic level are:

Advanced level (avancerad nivå)

To be admitted to a programme at the advanced level, a student must have obtained a 3-year Swedish degree at the basic level or a corresponding degree from another country or some corresponding qualification. The degrees that can be obtained at the advanced level are:

Both degrees require completing a thesis.

The Degree of Master (Two years), masterexam, is a new degree that is intended to be closely linked to continuing education at the graduate level.

Doctoral level (forskarnivå)

To be admitted to a programme at the doctoral level, a student must have obtained a Swedish degree at the advanced level or completed at least 4 years of full-time study with at least one year at the advanced level or a corresponding degree from another country or equivalent knowledge. The degrees that can be obtained at the doctoral level are:

Postgraduate academic titles are docent (associate professor) and professor (professor). Each department has an administrative officer, the prefekt, who often is a docent.

Grading

Three sets of grades exist in Swedish universities and university colleges. Some universities have introduced a seven-grade scale (A-F, Fx), that similar to the ECTS scale, but with a criterion-referenced grading instead of relative grading. The most common scale is a three-grade scale that consists of U (Underkänd in Swedish, fail), G (Godkänd, pass) and VG (Väl godkänd, pass with distinction). In this set VG is the highest. The other grade set consists of (U, 3, 4, 5) where 5 is the highest. This grade set is normally given in courses within technical professional degrees. Finally there are some courses, within two systems of grading, in which you can only get G (pass) or U (fail). For instance, for a one semester thesis (specialized level) in Computer Science for a Master's degree at some institutions one can only get the grade G (pass) or fail, while for an equivalent thesis at other institutions one can also receive the grade VG.

Language requirements

Before being accepted to a higher education programme in Sweden, all applicants must demonstrate a minimum proficiency in Swedish and English by either taking 2 years of Swedish and English or passing Swedish B and English A. For international applicants, the Test in Swedish for University Studies (TISUS), is an international exam that can be taken to demonstrate proficiency in Swedish. For those whose native language is not English, international applicants can demonstrate proficiency in English by obtaining a minimum score of 173 points on the TOEFL or a minimum grade of B on the Cambridge First Certificate in English exam. Exchange students may have different language requirements.

Student aid

Swedish students receive economic help from the Swedish National Board of Student Aid (CSN) for studying. Every student is entitled to 12 semesters of allowances and loans, totaling 2,230 SEK per week (June 2016: 261 EUR, 268 USD, 185 GBP) for full-time studies (after 1 July 2006). Allowances are usually 699 SEK per week (June 2016: 75 EUR; 84 USD; 58 GBP) with loans covering the rest. The limits for loans and allowances may be substantially increased under certain circumstances.

Legislation

Swedish legislation about student democracy is made by:

Such legal basis form regulations for all Swedish public universities. They principally state that:

Complaints about the implementation of legislation on student democracy can be sent to the Swedish Higher Education Authority (Universitetskanslerämbetet) . Even if there is no fine, universities usually follow the agency's decisions.

Core issues

The main issues about student democracy in Sweden are:

The Equal Treatment Act

In 2001, the Act for Equal Treatment of Students in Higher Education was issued, stating that:

Primary school

In 1842, the Swedish parliament introduced a four-year primary school for children in Sweden, "Folkskola". In 1858 grade 1 and 2 became "Småskola" and children started school at the age of seven. In 1882 two grades were added to "folkskola", grade 5 and 6. Some "folkskola" also had grade 7 and 8, called "Fortsättningsskola". Schooling in Sweden became mandatory for 7 years in the 1930s and for 8 years in the 1950s. Since 1972, Swedish children have 9 mandatory years in school - from August the year the child turns 7 to June the year the child turns 16. Parents in some cases also have the option of delaying starting school until age 8 if deemed to be in the child's best interest.

Secondary school

After three years in "folkskola", children who enjoyed school and had good grades could choose to switch to a secondary school called "Högre allmänna läroverket". Högre allmänna läroverket was not free, so most students came from well-off families. However, some children with good grades got free education at "högre allmänna läroverket" because their parents could not afford to pay for it. In 1905, "högre allmänna läroverket" was divided into a lower level, 6-year school called "realskola" and a higher level, 4-year school called "gymnasium". In 1971, fackskola merged with gymnasium and yrkesskola to become "gymnasieskola".

Grundskola

In the autumn term of 1949, some Swedish school districts introduced an experiment with a nine-year school called enhetsskola. The enhetsskola had three stages. The first 3 years were lågstadium (lower stage), the next three years were mellanstadium (middle stage) and the last three years were högstadium (upper stage). In those school districts, småskola became lågstadium, folkskola became mellanstadium and realskola became högstadium. On 26 May 1950 the Swedish parliament decided to introduce the enhetsskola in Sweden. In 1958 the enhetsskola became försöksskola, which in 1962 changed name to grundskola. By 1972, the grundskola had been introduced in all parts in Sweden, replacing the folkskola and högre allmänna läroverket. From the autumn term of 1994, the official division in three different stages was abolished. In the early 1990s, Sweden also introduced förskoleklass for the children aged 6, a one-year-long grade which first was called årskurs 0 (Grade 0) or 6-årsgrupp (group for the six-year-olds). Förskoleklass, which officially became the name from the 1998-1999 school year, is not mandatory.