The aspect of Swedish schools which readers cited by far the most frequently was what they saw as a lack of discipline, although some parents also appreciated the less authoritarian approach.
Over a third of our respondents (14 out of 38) in our reader survey in September 2025 complained of lax control of students, chaotic classrooms, lack of respect for teachers, and the lack of school uniforms.
In a similar vein, many readers complained of the low academic level, short school day, small amount of homework, and failure to challenge gifted students.
On the other hand, an almost equally large number of readers welcomed the less pressured learning environment, the space given to students to develop at their own pace, and the less hierarchical atmosphere.
'The kids don't care'
"There's a lack of authority for teachers and other school professionals," one Brazilian reader complained. "Students have it so soft. Many of them don't pay attention and keep looking at their phones or playing during the class. It is a mess."
"Compared to Malaysian schooling, kids in Sweden do lack discipline," echoed another reader. "Teachers are limited from disciplining students who disrupt classes. The kids don't care if homework is done or not because there are no consequences."
This lack of discipline became an increasing problem as students reached the end of their compulsory schooling, added an Indian lawyer based in Stockholm.
"From middle school onwards, there are snus, vapes, and energy drinks within the school campus. There are minimum consequences for children even if they are reported to school leadership," she reported. "The school-issued laptops are not secure and can be used to access all sites including adult sites."
Several foreigners reacted against the lack of a school uniform, the fact that teachers are referred to by their first names, and the absence of punishments such as detention, all of which they argued combined to make discipline more difficult.
'Children are happier'
For other parents ‒ particularly those from the UK and US ‒ the less authoritarian and achievement-obsessed approach came as a relief.
"Children are happier than in the UK. Most leave each stage with happy memories," said one British parent who had also worked as a teacher in Sweden. "Compare that to the UK ‒ most of us leave despising the institution we’ve ’escaped’. We don’t go back to visit our teachers."
"It is really kid-centric and accommodates individual differences in children's needs and personalities," said a reader from eastern Europe. "That is a huge difference compared to the country where I went to school, where the whole aim of schooling is to learn the rules and conforming."
One parent said they felt that there was less of a pecking order between students in her child's class than what was normal back in her home country: "I like how inclusive they are and there is no feeling of elite groups."
Another said the fact that most students went to the school closest to where they live led to an "accessible, neighbourhood school system".
Unchallenging academically
The second most common aspect of Swedish schooling respondents brought up was the low academic level of the students.
Many foreigners struggled with the delayed start to learning at Swedish schools, and ended up comparing the level of their children unfavourably with that of similarly aged children back in their home countries.
"Students have a lesser base in terms of school studies compared to those of other countries," complained one Indian respondent. "The kind of maths my kid did in Class 0 in India is at Class 2 in Sweden."
Another Indian who home-schooled their child until they were six said they were now "way ahead of classmates in many subjects".
In particular, several respondents complained about the short school day and the relatively small amount of homework.
On the flip side, some foreigners said that the sudden introduction of grades in the seventh year came as a shock to students who were unused to such pressure to perform.
The unchallenging level of school work was even more acute for more academically gifted students.
"Meritocracy is badly thought of which means that capable kids are held back in subjects they could excel at," said one respondent from the UK.
"There's a lack of challenges for kids who do want to learn ‒ kids are never asked to stretch or to try something that may be a little tough," agreed a British mother.
When it came to struggling students, parents were divided with one complaining of "poor personal attention when a child needs additional support", while another parent with a special needs child said that they were "happy with everything".
Life skills
One aspect of Swedish schools readers did appreciate was the greater focus on life skills, group cooperation, and more practical subjects like carpentry and cooking than in their home countries.
The Malaysian reader said she valued Swedish schools' focus on "all-around individual development, open discussions, nature and self reliance, critical thinking, and speaking up". It was good, she wrote, that education was "not all about textbook knowledge and memorising your schoolbooks".
The Indian lawyer also said she also appreciated the focus on "play-based learning and learning from nature", especially when children were small. She also liked the way older children are taught practical housework and cooking skills in hemkunskap, swimming and orienteering, which are subjects she said were "absent or minimally focused on" back in Asia.
After school activities
The Irish respondent said that the fact the schools had an after-school division which could look after children until parents come home from work at 5pm or 6pm "makes logistics much easier than in Ireland."
On the other hand, other parents complained that these school activities did not involve sports, music, or other activities as they do in many other countries.
One British parent rued the fact that there were no matches between competing schools. "My child in the UK had the chance to participate in inter-school competitions in sports, which is something that is not done in Swedish schools," they said.
He argued that competitive sports in schools could potentially "mitigate gang-related problems" in Sweden, while singing the national anthem in school might help teach children Swedish values. "I think that is an example of how loyalty in Sweden should be taught and promoted."
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