About the Swedish education system and

the National Agency for Education

Role of the Agency

All children and pupils have the right to an equivalent education.

The National Agency for Education steers, supports, follows up and evaluates the work of organisers, preschools and schools with the aim of improving quality and results.

Responsibility of the Agency

The National Agency for Education is a supervisory authority responsible for:

• Preschooling

• The preschool class

• The compulsory school, compulsory school for learning disabilities, Sami school and the special school

• Leisure-time centres

• The upper secondary school, upper secondary school for learning disabilities

• Adult education at compulsory and upper secondary level, education for persons with learning disabilities (särvux) and Sfi (Swedish tuition for immigrants)

• Issuing teacher certification

The National Agency for Education also has special responsibility for handicap questions, environmental questions, and questions concerning newly arrived children and pupils in the education sector.

Tasks of the Agency

Steering documents

We set the frames and guidelines on how the education is to be carried out . 

National school development

We support the development of preschools and schools with the aim of achieving greater goal attainment. 

Evaluation

We evaluate activities through in-depth studies and analyses. 

Follow-up

We follow-up school activities, how they are carried out, and how results can be improved. 

Teacher certification

We make decisions on the certification of preschool teachers and teachers.

Knowledge without boundaries and the desire to learn

– The National Agency for Education shows the way

Our vision

The National Agency for Education works actively with broad and deep knowledge as its foundation, to attain quality and equivalence in education.

The National Agency for Education through involvement, integrity and new approaches:

• Draws up clear goals and knowledge requirements

• Provides development support for preschools and schools

• Develops new knowledge of benefit for our target groups, and

• Aims to improve communications with our target groups.

Our guiding principles

Organisation

Director-generalDeputy director general

National development

National evaluation

Analysis and research

Finance

Human resources

ICT

Educational development

Advisory council

Education Administration

Professional development

Government subsidy

Education statistics

Result analysis

Adult education

Upper secondary school

Preschool and Compulsory school

Assessment and testing

Director-general´s office

Legal secretariatInformation service

Information

Internal audit

Council for Preparatory and Vocational dance training

Teachers Responsibility Board

Quality improvement

Det svenska utbildningssystemet

A goal steered system with a high degree of local responsibility.

 

The main responsibility lies with the municipalities and the organisers of independent schools and schools.

The Swedish Riksdag and the government draw up the overall national goals in:

• The Education Act

• The curricula

• The school ordinance, the upper secondary school ordinance, and the adult education ordinance

• The syllabuses for compulsory school

• The subject syllabuses for the upper secondary foundation subjects

• The diploma goals for the upper secondary school

How are the preschool and school steered?

The Agency's steering instruments

The National Agency for Education draws up and decides on:

• Syllabuses for the compulsory school, the compulsory school for learning disabilities, the Sami school and the special school

• Subject syllabuses for the upper secondary school

• Knowledge requirements for all school forms

• Regulations

• General guidelines

School organisers have primary responsibility for distributing resources and organising activities so that pupils attain the national goals.

Based on this, each preschool, school and leisure-time centre chooses the working approaches most appropriate for them. The work is followed up by means of systematic quality assessment.

Grading scale

In the compulsory school for learning disabilities, grades are only awarded if the pupil, or the pupil's guardian requests this.  F or a (–) dash are not used in the compulsory school for learning disabilities.

Pass level

• New as a school form for children aged 1-6 years.

• Voluntary, general preschool from the age of 3, or from the age of 1 if this is needed because of parents' work or studies or the child's own needs.

• Should ”stimulate the child's development and learning, and also provide a secure care environment."

Preschool

Preschool class

• Voluntary school form, free of charge for children aged six.

• Covers a minimum of 525 hours per school year.

• Should ”stimulate pupils' development and learning and prepare them for further education.”

• Combines the working approaches and methods of the preschool and school.

Compulsory school education

• Compulsory school attendance starts when the child reaches the age of seven.

• Compulsory school attendance is the norm in compulsory school.

• Compulsory schools are run by municipal or private organisers.

Alternatives to the compulsory school

• The compulsory school for pupils with learning disabilities, sometimes together with the training school, has its own curriculum and syllabuses, for years 1 - 9 with the option of an additional year.

• The special school (state), 5 regional schools - hearing, 3 national schools, years 1 - 10.

• The Sami school (state), years 1-6.

• There are also other options, e.g. 7 international schools, 3 national boarding schools, special # youth homes and Swedish schools abroad.

Leisure-time centres

• Supplements the school for pupils aged between 6-13 years.

• Should ”stimulate pupils' development and also provide them with meaningful recreational activities.”

• ”… to the extent needed with regard to parents' work or studies, or the pupil's own needs.”

The upper secondary school

• All pupils who have completed compulsory schooling are offered upper secondary education by their home municipality.

• The right to start an upper secondary education applies to students up to the age of 20.

• The upper secondary school is free of charge and voluntary.

• Starting upper secondary school means that students accept the rules governing absenteeism and participation in the education.

Admission requirements

Vocational programmes

•Pass grades in

•Swedish or Swedish as a second language

•English

•Mathematics

•Five other compulsory school subjects

Higher education preparatory programmes

Pass grades in

•Swedish or Swedish as a second language

•English

•Mathematics

•Eight other compulsory school subjects

Vocational programmes/Apprenticeship education•Child and Recreation•Building and Construction•Electricity and Energy•Vehicle and Transport•Business and Administration•Handicraft•Hotel and Tourism•Industrial technology•Natural Resource Use•Restaurant Management and Food •HVAC and Property Management•Health and Social Care

Higher education preparatory programmes•Business Management and Economics•Arts•Humanities •Natural Science•Social Science•Technology

Introductory programmes• Preparatory education• Programme oriented individual

options • Vocational introduction• Individual alternative • Language introduction

Education in upper secondary school

Nationally determined differences

• Special variants

• Education with nationwide admission with its own diploma goals

• Leading-edge education

• Professional dance education

• Sports education

Diploma goals

Orientation

Upper secondary foundation subjects

Programme specialisations

Individual options

Programme specific subjects

Diploma project

Alternatives to the upper secondary school

• Upper secondary school for learning disabilities (new as of 2013)

• International schools

• National boarding schools

• IB education

• Distance education at upper secondary level in Torsås

• Special institutions (state)

• (Swedish schools abroad)

Municipal adult education

• Basic adult education from the age of 20.

• Upper secondary municipal adult education from the age of 20 or completion of a national programme or equivalent education.

• Special education for adults.

• Swedish tuition for immigrants (SFI).

• Students from vocational programmes have the right to attain basic eligibility for higher education.