Published: 21 Jan 10 13:15 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/24514/20100121/
Some of Sweden’s best primary schools ('grundskolor', ages 7-16) can be found in municipalities along the southeastern coast of the country, according to a new ranking.
External link: Skolvärlden magazine's complete ranking of Swedish schools »
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
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Schools are now reduced to just concentrating on maths and english, maths and english, maths and english so that they can get extra percentage points on the league tables. Schools concentrate on teaching pupils how to pass exams without necessarily understanding the subject. Some schools have a selection process, where they choose who they want at the school; children deemed unsuitable or from disadvataged backgrounds are excluded. My home county has the highest percenatge of grammar schools (selected entry) and a high number of high performing schools but guess what, they also have the highest rate of failing schools in the country becuse all the less able pupils are put together in the same school.
These league tables are affected by just one less-able pupil (one person can add or take 2-3% points) which is not a fault of the school, but league tables don't show that. Of course schools in more affluent areas are going to do better because if the parents are affluent, then they are probably quite clever and so will there children. And the opposite can be true for poorer areas, but this is not the fault of parents or teachers/schools.
It is based on just 6 basic indicators that reflect the interests of the teaching Union that produced it:
-staffing ratios (of course got to keep the numbers of teachers up ;-) )
-numbers of teachers with a full qualification (got to retain the professional monopoly for LRF ;-) )
-cost per pupil (well is high or low cost good or bad??? - high costs could be high quality or it could be inefficiency - in any case rural schools are going to have higher costs for transport etc)
-The results of the national tests for year 9 (that's OK these exams are marked by teachers - you can give any mark you want)
-percentage of year 9s eligible for a national gymnasiet programme (determined by teachers)
-the number of year 9s that pass all subjects (also determined by teachers)
You also need to be aware that:
The rankings were compiled by a National teaching Union and reflect aspects of interest to teachers
The only school year examined was year 9 - there results can be very variable and say nothing about the rest of the education system - some kommuns have only one high school
That many of the indicators are open to manipulation - there have been several Skolinspektion investigations into grade manipulations where pupils are given much higher overall grades than their test performance.
Some kommuns had much higher grades could be better teaching but could also be higher marking
If you want English as a first language why not move to England? I don't see the relevance of your comment to this story, but perhaps it was lost in translation ;)
Swedish school's focus on language is a very bright spot in a very dark situation. The Swedish schools my kids went to in western Sweden were deplorable. I thought the US schools were bad, but the US schools are a solid 2-4 years a head in Math than the best schools in Western Sweden. Unfortunately, the egalitarian culture frowns on students who want to do better than the worst.
So I take back what I said; don't come to England if you want English as a first language. Go to Scotland instead; or Wales, even Ireland definitely not England.
The debate on what may be called "league tables" for schools has been going on for years in the UK. Effectively it's a matter of comparing apples with pears. A total nonsense. You cannot compare an inner city school with a rural school; nor a school in a rich middle class area with a rundown school in a working class ghetto. But compare them they will and publish this rubbish they will. It's barmy and everyone knows it's barmy but still the debate goes on. (Barmy is a particularly nice English word; redolent of frothy nonsense and alcoholic revelry)
I heard someone on TV the other day when asked about some vexed item of public concern answer by saying " What do they do in Sweden? " Heaven knows why but apparently middle class commentators are looking at Sweden for inspiration. So don't let us all down by copying failed "New Labour" policies of league tables and all the rest of that rhubarb.
Now I go to bed.
I think it's better to have smaller class sizes. I have more time for each student then and I have more time to plan lessons.
I have 180 students. It takes time to correct every essay they write.
So, having not moved there just yet... does anyone know if homeschooling is illegal in Sweden as it apparently is in Germany?! :(