 | |
| Ministry of Education and Research | |
|---|---|
| Minister for Education | Johan Pehrson[1] |
| National education budget (2017) | |
| Budget | 71.6 billion SEK[2] |
| General details | |
| System type | National |
| Primary | 1,049,490 students[3] |
| Secondary | 347,900 students[4] |
| Attainment | |
| Secondary diploma | 83.9% of adults (OECD 2020)[5] |
| Post-secondary diploma | 44.6% of adults (OECD 2020)[5] |
Education in Sweden is mandatory for children between ages 5/6 and 15/16 depending on when in the year they were born. The school year in Sweden runs from mid–late August to early/mid–June. The Christmas holiday from mid–December to early January divides the Swedish school year into two terms.
Preschool is free for all families. The year children turn six they start the compulsory preschool class (förskoleklass), which acts as a transition phase between preschool and comprehensive schools. Children between ages 5/6 and 15/16 attend comprehensive school where a wide range of subjects are studied. All students study the same subjects, with exception for different language choices. The majority of schools are run municipally, but there are also privately owned schools, known as independent schools.
Almost all students continue studying in three-year-long upper secondary schools where most students choose one out of 18 national programmes, some of which are vocational and some preparatory. For students not fulfilling the requirements for the national programmes, introductory programmes are available where students work to satisfy the requirements for the national programmes. In 2018, 16% of students finishing year 9 of comprehensive school were not eligible for national programmes.[6]
The higher education system is compatible with the rest of Europe through the Bologna Process where degrees are divided into three cycles: basic level, advanced level and doctoral level. There are two degrees available in each cycle of different lengths. Universities have no tuition fees for Swedish citizens (as well for citizens of European Economic Area сountries), and student aid is available from the government.
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oecdstatwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Grundskolan – Betyg och Prov – Riksnivå". Skolverket (in Swedish). Retrieved 28 March 2019.