Status of Education in Sweden

Status of Education in Sweden

Mackenzie Pickering
Arizona State University

GCU 114
Sheila Nice
April 6, 2016

Status of Education in Sweden

Abstract
This paper explores the education system in Sweden and analyzes how it compares to the three
priorities of the UNs Global Education Initiative. The Swedish government will be described in
depth including the timeline of a student. Then, the Swedish Education system will be discussed
revealing whether or not it aligns with the priorities of the UN or not.

Status of Education in Sweden

Swedens Educations System
Swedens education is similar to many of the other systems in the Europe region. Children in
Sweden often start off in preschool. Preschool is a combination of pedagogical practice and
childcare which is a day- long responsibility for promoting the whole child (The Swedish School
System). Preschool age in Sweden extends from the ages of 1-7. There is a fee for most
preschools because it is not mandatory for a child to go to preschool. When a child turns 7 they
are required to begin Compulsory school. The child is in compulsory school between the ages of
7- 16 and it is mandatory. A student is allowed to stop going to school and receives their
certificate after the spring term in which they turn 16. After compulsory school, students may,
but do not have to, go to Upper Secondary School. This is equivalent to a pre-college/ Junior
College in the U.S. It is a three-year program that is composed of general education and makes a
student eligible to attend a University (The Swedish School System).
The UN Global Education Initiative
The UNs Global Education Initiative has three major priorities which are: 1. Every child in
school, 2. Quality of learning, and 3. Global citizenship (Priorities). Swedens system partly

Status of Education in Sweden

works towards these goals. The first goal, every child in school, is held up by the Swedish school
system in the enforcement of children going to school between the ages of seven and sixteen.
With students being required to have some form of schooling this allows the first UN priority to
be accounted for in Sweden. The second goal, quality of learning, may be the one that Sweden
struggles with. Up until August of 2011, primary schools in Sweden were on a very lenient pass/
fail grading system. This was leading to kids getting passed through grades without actually
grasping the concepts. This made it difficult when they got to sixth grade and began to be
marked off for incorrect answers. The new act passed in 2011 requires the grades as follows:

This chart shows the grading systems for

Swedens schools in relations to the US and their meanings.
As the chart shows, the grading system is now very similar to the U.S but Sweden still needs to
work on improving the quality in the educational content in their schools.
Lastly, global citizenship, is not a very large strength when it comes to Swedish Schooling.
While teachers really care how the students are doing, they will not fail a child unless absolutely

Status of Education in Sweden

necessary (Education System, 2013). While this may sound like a positive thing, it can also be
harmful. If teachers are passing students who are not ready for the next grade level, this can be
detrimental to their learning careers. It goes back to the not having grades thing because if there
are not set grades on projects and assignments, a student will not know how they are progressing
and the teacher will not know how to properly assist that student.
Conclusion
Overall, I believe that Sweden struggles to meet the priorities laid out by the UNs Global
Education Initiative. They have one of the most struggling education systems compared to any
other developed country. Sweden has the resources to make their education system great but I
think they still need a little support. More laws will have to be passed in Sweden to ensure that
all students are attending class and all teachers are grading properly.

Chart to show the levels of schooling in Sweden.

Status of Education in Sweden

5
References

Education System - Studying in Sweden. (2013). Retrieved April 07, 2016, from
http://www.studying-in-sweden.com/education-system/
Google. (n.d.). Retrieved April 07, 2016, from https://www.google.com/?
espv=2#q=swedish grading system
Priorities. (n.d.). Retrieved April 07, 2016, from
http://globaleducationfirst.org/priorities.html
The Swedish school system. (n.d.). Retrieved April 07, 2016, from
http://vittra.se/english/AboutVittra/Theschoolsystem.aspx