Schools
All the news and essential information about schools in Sweden.
How to enrol your child in a Swedish school
Is your child set to turn six this year? Then it’s time to start thinking about which school they’re going to attend.
Sweden proposes new plan for stopping mismanaged free schools
Free school leaders who have mismanaged their schools will be temporarily banned from expanding or starting new schools, a new inquiry has proposed.
Can I take my child out of their Swedish school during term time?
Are you planning a trip abroad later in the year with school-age kids? It's good to be aware of the rules for taking them out of classes so you're not hit with a painful fine once you get home.
How easy is it to get a Swedish teacher qualification?
In Sweden, teaching requires an official certification. If you were trained abroad as a teacher or preschool teacher, you can apply for the recognition of your degrees through Skolverket.. In this guide, you will find an overview of the different steps, the expected timeline, and your options if the application is not approved.
Swedish public health agency calls for ban on teachers' snus use
The Swedish Public Health Agency wants a total ban on snus in schools – not only for students but for teachers as well. The question now is whether the government will act on the proposal.
Five things I learned about Sweden's schools by working as a teacher
When The Local recently asked its readers about Swedish schools, I couldn’t help but smile. Because as a teacher I can tell you many of the points raised were spot on. Here are five of the things I've learned from being an insider.
'Students have it so soft': What foreign parents think of schools in Sweden
Sweden's education system is built on a very different philosophy from those of many other countries, with less focus on who is top of the class, and more focus on group cooperation and life skills. We asked readers of The Local what they made of it.
Swedish government promises to spend 4 billion kronor on schools
Sweden's government has announced plans to spend 4 billion kronor on the country's schools next year, with almost half of that aimed at improving the quality of teaching, particularly in vulnerable areas.
Why back-to-school week is educational for immigrant parents
One of the benefits of having children in Swedish schools is that foreign parents learn a lot along the way about how the Swedish education system works.
The Swedish vocabulary parents need for back-to-school season
Across Sweden, children are starting or returning to school after the summer holidays. Here are the crucial pieces of Swedish vocabulary that will help international families navigate the school year.
Ten things you should know if your child is starting school in Sweden
It's the big day! Your baby's all grown up and ready to start at your local Swedish school. What do you need to do to prepare?
Why are Swedish teens in white hats singing and drinking on trucks?
Sweden's streets are filled with jubilant high school students. Why are they there, and what are they doing? The Local looks at the background behind this tradition.
Sweden's IES language teachers lose contracts after watchdog crackdown
More than 30 language teachers at the IES school chain have lost their permanent contracts and either been made redundant or moved into other roles after Sweden's Schools Inspectorate criticised the group for its use of teachers without a Swedish certification.
Stranded pupils mount protest against Stockholm IES school closure
Parents of some of the 159 pupils left stranded by the IES school chain's decision to close its only upper secondary school mounted a protest on Thursday, calling for Stockholm City's education department to intervene to save the school.
Why a new Centre leader might mean the end for free school reform
Given the prospective new Centre Party leader Anna-Karin Hatt's background as leader of a free school company, she seems unlikely to let her party join a future push to stop private companies profiting from education, argues The Local's Nordic editor Richard Orange.
How far-reaching are the government's proposals to reform free schools?
Sweden's education minister Johan Pehrson has promised that the reforms to the free school system announced this week will see "stock market wheeler-dealers" being "thrown head first" out of the education sector. How far-reaching are the reforms really?
Why free school profit curbs could matter for Sweden’s next election
A government inquiry into "stricter conditions for free schools" has recommended banning companies who launch a new school or buy an existing one from extracting profits for the first five years. Will this be enough to defuse the issue ahead of the coming election?
Sweden to invest 300 million kronor in school security after mass shooting
Sweden's government said on Thursday that it would be putting aside 300 million kronor for school security measures, following the country's worst mass shooting at an education centre last month.
EXPLAINED: How will Sweden's school smartphone ban work?
A Swedish government inquiry in March recommended that the government bring in a compulsory phone ban at all primary and upper secondary schools in the country. Here's what you need to know.
Sweden to ban pupils from having phones in schools
A Swedish government inquiry has recommended that Sweden bring in a national ban on mobile phones in schools, with schools required to collect pupils' phones at the start of the school day at all primary and lower secondary schools in the country.
'Incredibly irresponsible': Parents slam IES Stockholm school closure
Parents of students left stranded by the IES school chain's decision to close its only upper secondary school have sharply criticised the move and called either for the school to reverse it or for Stockholm's city council to intervene.
How the Nordic countries are tackling the scourge of screens
Denmark is planning to ban smartphones in schools, and health authorities across the Nordic countries have issued guidance on children's screen use. What rules and recommendations are now in place?
The clever way this bilingual school in Stockholm teaches empathy
Raising an empathetic, open-minded child is high up on the agenda for most parents. But how can you guarantee these values are reinforced during the school day? At Futuraskolan International School Bergtorp teachers take up the reins, organising global citizenship projects that foster tolerance and intercultural awareness.