ESTIA in Sweden - Education/Compulsory education

Compulsory education in Sweden takes the form of a 9 year comprehensive school (grundskola) for children aged 7–16. However, if their parents so desire, children have a right to start compulsory school at the age of six years. In 1998 about 7% of the pupils starting school that year were six years old or younger. It is also possible to postpone the start of compulsory education until the child is eight years of age, if there are special reasons for this.

Compulsory elementary schooling was formally introduced in Sweden in 1842. A process of reform, destined to take many years, began in the 1940s with the aim of expanding compulsory schooling. The 9 year compulsory comprehensive school was decided on by Parliament in 1962, and fully implemented in the school year 1972–73. Today, it is regulated by the Education Act of 1985, with amendments.

The compulsory school system comprises compulsory school (grundskolan), Sami school (sameskolan) for Sami-speaking children in the north of the country, special schools (specialskolan) for children with certain handicaps (children with impaired hearing, vision or speech disabilities) and compulsory school for the intellectually disabled (särskolan). After a brief presentation of the different school forms below, only the grundskola will be treated under the following headings of this chapter.

There are only around 150 pupils enrolled in the Sami school. Sami pupils may also choose to attend the ordinary compulsory school.

The overwhelming majority of pupils with some form of physical disability attend the compulsory school. For children who need more specialised teaching because of their handicap, there are also eight special schools for in total 800 pupils, which should, as far as possible, provide equivalent education to the education offered in the compulsory school. The majority of the special schools are schools for pupils with hearing disabilities.

Intellectually disabled pupils may with special support follow the education in a class in compulsory school or be enrolled in special classes for intellectually disabled.

Almost all pupils in compulsory school (around 98%) attend compulsory schools run by the municipalities, usually in their local area. The Education Act states, however, that parents and pupils should be able to make a choice concerning compulsory education. To the extent that it is possible, parents’ wishes for their children to attend a particular public school within the municipality should be considered. Parents can choose between public and private schools. Parents can also, within certain limits, choose to let their children attend a public school outside the home municipality. The municipalities are obliged to provide pupils with all the materials necessary for school work. All compulsory schooling is co-educational and provided free of charge.

The alterations to the legislative framework for the school system that have taken effect in the 1990’s have involved fundamental changes in the control and organization of the schools, as well as in the conditions under which individual schools are able to operate. In December 1993, Parliament adopted legislation laying down new curricular guidelines for the whole school system, geared to the new objective and result-related governing system for schools. As further described below, this has meant extensive changes in the curriculum, syllabi and time-schedules as well and in the marking system of compulsory school. The current system has been effective since the 1995–96 school year for grades 1–7 of compulsory school, compulsory school for the intellectually disabled and special school, and for the whole of Sami school.

In order to support integration of activities, a common curriculum for compulsory school, and the pre-school class was introduced from the school year 1998/99. The curriculum is also applied to the after school centre.

Schools are free to make their own decisions about the organisation of the school, the teaching arrangements, size of classes etc. Pupils may be taught in groups of the same age or as mixed-age groups.

The individual teacher sets out appropriate teaching methods, which topics should be covered in lessons (within the frame of the syllabus, the local school plan and the school’s work plan) and choice of material. Under the terms of the Education Act and the curriculum, pupils have an influence over the organisation of teaching and, as they get older and more mature, are given increasing responsibility for their own work at school.

The school year is divided into two terms and should comprise not less than 178 and not more than 190 school days (Monday–Friday) and 12 days of holiday. Attendance is compulsory for a maximum of eight hours per day (six hours in the two first years of school). The Autumn term lasts from the end of August to the end of December, the Spring term from the beginning of January to the beginning of June. The exact dates vary from year to year and from one municipality to another.

From the school year 1998/99 compulsory school and the pre-school class share a common curriculum. The curriculum is also applied to the after school centre. The aim is to support integration of activities.

The curriculum contains binding regulations for the school and thus steers its activity. The curriculum sets out the basic values of the school, its tasks and provides objectives and guidelines for the school. In the curriculum emphasis is placed on the conveyance of knowledge, norms and values as the primary objectives of the school.

The goals in the curriculum are of two kinds: goals to aim for and goals to be attained. The goals to aim for indicate the direction of the school’s work and thus the development of standards desired. The goals to be attained are an expression of the minimum pupil attainment required on leaving school. It is the responsibility of the school and the school authorities to ensure that pupils are given the opportunities to attain these goals.

The curriculum makes clear the responsibilities incurred by all members of the school community. It also aims at strengthening the opportunities and duties for pupils and their families to be involved in decisions in school matters.

The national syllabi for each subject states the objectives which are to be achieved by the end of the fifth and ninth year of school. This provides an opportunity for nationwide evaluation of school achievements after the fifth year.

The syllabi also indicates the aims of education as well as the purpose, structure and character of each subject, including each individual subject within natural science and social science. Teachers are, however, given great freedom in planning their teaching and in choosing their working methods and subject matter.

The timetable, which forms part of the Education Act and as such has been adopted by Parliament, lays down a guaranteed total number of hours (6,665 hours) throughout the nine years of compulsory education. This is the minimum amount of tuition in hours that pupil must be given (guaranteed teaching time).

The schools themselves are able to decide how the amount of teaching time on the timetable is to be spread over the nine years of schooling. A comparative assessment of pupil’s attainment will however be made during the fifth year of school.

Swedish, English (which is the first foreign language) and matemathics occupy a prominent position in compulsory school. All pupils must choose another foreign language in addition to English, or as an alternative study their mother tounge (if it is not Swedish) or additional English and Swedish. A third foreign language may also be offered as pupil or school option.

Indidvidual schools may develop a profile of their own in that they have the possibility to redistribute a certain number of hours between subjects. By this the Government wishes to provide schools with opportunities to organise education in closer rapport with local needs and interests. The aim is also to promote interdisciplinary teaching and thematic studies. In addition to this, the timetable allows certain scope for pupils’ own options.

The Government has also recently proposed that schools during a trial period of five years may carry out their activities without following the centrally adopted timetable as regards distribution of hours between subjects. They however still have to guarantee the minimum hours of tuition set.

Timetable for curriculum
(Stipulates the teaching hours for subjects or groups of subjects over the 9 years of compulsory school)

Subject	Hours as of 1 Jan 1998 Min. hours
Art education	230
Domestic Science	118
Physical and health education	500
Music	230
Crafts	330
Swedish	1,490
English	480
Mathematics	900
Geography, History, Religion, Social sciences	885
Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Technology	800
Foreign language	320
Pupils’ choice	382
Total	6,665
Whereof Choice of school (locally decided)	600

Grades are awarded on a three grade scale from the autumn term of grade 8 onwards. In the spring term of grade 9 they relate the pupils achievements to the national objective stated in the syllabus for the subject for grade 9, and earlier to by the school defined objectives. The grades in this goal- and achievment-related marking system are: Pass, Pass with Distinction and Pass with Special Distinction. Pupils completing their compulsory schooling obtain a leaving certificate, signed by the head teacher.

The final awards are based on nationally defined assessment criteria issued in conjunction with the courses for each subject. National tests in Swedish, English and mathematics at the end of the ninth year in school ensure that the grading is comparable. National tests in these subjects may also be used at the end of the fifth year of school, these are however voluntary for the municipalities. A pupil who does not achieve the goals set out in the syllabus for the ninth year does not receive a grade in that subject, but will instead be given a written assessment.

Throughout compulsory school pupils and their parents are to be given regular progress reports, including meetings to discuss development. Normally a pupil automatically moves up one class with each new school year, but a head teacher may after consulting a pupil’s parents decide against this, which is however not common.

The principals of the compulsory school have an overall responsibility for educational guidance. They have to ensure that the pupils obtain guidance to the offered choices of education at the school as well as guidance to further studies and vocational training. Study and vocational personal guidance is provided throughout compulsory school and many schools have special staff for this task

To qualify as a teacher a person must have completed a Swedish teacher training programme or the equivalent certification from another Member State of the European Union or an EFTA country.

Teachers are municipal employees and they work full-time as well as part-time. The State however requires teachers to be properly qualified to teach their main subjects. Unqualified teachers may be employed for a certain length of time if qualified staff is not available.

Teachers in compulsory school are trained at universities and university colleges. The majority of teachers of general subjects now in service have been trained in the following way: class teachers for grades 1–3 and 4–6 have completed separate integrated training programmes lasting 2 ½ years and

3 years, respectively; whilst subject teachers for grades 7–9 have a university or college degree in their subject(s), plus a diploma awarded on completion of a one-year course in the theory and practice of teaching.

A new integrated study programme was introduced in the academic year 1988–89. There are two branches in the programme: for teachers of grades 1–7 and 4–9 respectively. A one-year course in the theory and practice of teaching is common to all students. Training for grades 1–7 takes 3½–4 years. Students can choose between three different variations of the basic curriculum and may also specialize in one of two different subject areas. Trainees for grades 4–9 may specialize in one of five areas, and study between 3½ and 4½ years, depending on their specialization. They could also extend their subject studies to qualify for service in the upper secondary school. As from the academic year 1992–93 there is an alternative training route for teachers of grades 4–9, where subject studies in different combinations are followed by one year of practical pedagogical training.

Remedial teachers follow an extended study programme, lasting for one year or more, after their basic training as compulsory school teachers. Teachers of practical and artistic subjects are trained at special university colleges. They can specialize in one area but are also able, within a training programme for compulsory school teachers, to opt for a combination of their main subject with one or two others.

Supervised teaching practice, equivalent to one term’s full-time study, is a requirement in all teacher training.

The municipalities, which are the employers of teachers, also have the responsibility for the in-service training of teachers. The National Agency for Education must ensure that in-service training courses are available in all parts of the country, whilst the local authorities are obliged by law to ensure that all school staff is adequately trained. For professionally active teachers universities and colleges arrange in-service training courses of varying length. The local committee decides which teachers to send. The extent of in-service training is decided locally.

Teacher training is currently being reviewed by a commission of inquiry, appointed by the Government. Its tasks are, among other things, to define objectives and priciples for regulation of teacher training as well as to put forward proposals as regards dimensioning and recruitment to teacher training courses.

In 1998/99 there were 1,010,000 pupils in the "grundskola" and around 5,000 schools.

There were 76,400 teachers (annual workers) working in the compulsory school. The pupil/teacher ratio was 13.2.

In the spring of 1998, 97,300 pupils finished compulsory school. Almost all of these (97 %) continued to upper secondary education the same Autumn.

Data are from 1998, the source is the National Agency for Education, report 167 "Child Care and School Statistics 1999:2"