Copying Sweden’s schools
Sweden seems to do many things better than the UK does. Its pension system is largely fully-funded without imposing liabilities on future generations. Many think that Sweden handled the Covid pandemic better than other nations managed to do. And its school system has many elements that would vastly improve our own if we adopted them.
If we did so, we’d have to adopt a phased approach, accounting for differences in culture, governance, and existing education infrastructure. The Swedish school system incorporates school choice with what amounts to a voucher system
Parents can choose between public and independent (friskolor) schools. In Sweden, friskolor are independent, publicly-funded schools, also known as free schools. They are a significant part of the Swedish school system, with around 15% of primary school pupils and 30% of upper secondary school pupils attending them. These schools are privately run but receive public funding, allowing them to operate without charging tuition fees.
All schools are publicly funded, including private ones, provided they meet national standards. National curriculum and goals are set by the government, but municipalities and school providers have autonomy in implementation.
There is a strong focus on equal opportunities regardless of background, with no tuition fees for compulsory and upper secondary education. All education is publicly funded until age 19, including vocational and academic tracks.
Teachers have considerable freedom in how they teach, with less emphasis on high-stakes testing.
England could copy the system by allowing per-pupil funding to follow students to any approved school be it public, academy, or private. It could ensure quality control via a robust inspection regime.
It could increase teacher trust and reduce micromanagement. It might cut down on high-stakes testing and shift from performance league tables to broader quality indicators. It could maintain a strong National Curriculum but allow more flexibility in its implementation.
One aim would be to raise the status of the teaching profession by giving teachers more flexibility to use their judgement instead of ticking boxes. It would allow schools to increase their pay to attract higher quality entrants. It would permit local innovation as long as core standards were met.
In Sweden, vocational and academic upper-secondary education are equally respected. In the UK, we might fund both pathways equally and allow movement between them.
In short, England could learn from Sweden's school system by introducing more school choice with equal funding, increasing teacher autonomy and student support services, and ensuring all school types meet national quality standards.
It should recognize, however, that Sweden’s model works within its cultural and political framework, and that its adoption in England would have to be adjusted to fit in with a different attitude to learning. It could be done if implemented carefully.
Madsen Pirie