Context

Sweden has regained its footing on the OECD PISA assessment in the past decade. Following a strong debut in 2000, Sweden saw its scores decline sharply, landing below the OECD average across all three subjects in 2012. A period of rapid improvement followed, and by PISA 2018 Sweden performed well above the OECD average across all three subjects—a position it maintained through PISA 2022. Equity of performance remains a challenge for Sweden, as socioeconomic status has a greater impact on student performance than in most other OECD countries and there is a persistent gap between the performance of immigrant and non-immigrant students. Sweden is notable for its level of participation in lifelong learning, which is the highest across the EU.

Despite some inequity of student performance, Sweden’s education system is marked by a commitment to egalitarian values. Among the first countries in the world to guarantee universal primary education, it also pioneered a common compulsory secondary school to educate students from all family backgrounds and income levels. The adult folk high school movement, begun in the mid-1800s to bring education to rural communities, established a tradition of lifelong learning that continues today. Throughout the 20th century, Sweden developed a strong industrial base and became one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Its economy was driven by its paper and steel industries initially and later by its engineering sector; it also benefited from its neutrality in world wars, avoiding the destruction and population declines its European neighbors experienced. By the mid-20th century, Sweden’s free common education system coupled with its strong social safety net had made it an international model for promoting economic growth with equity.

Sweden’s fortunes shifted in the 1990s when it was hit with a financial crisis. A new center-right coalition government introduced sweeping market reforms. In education, control of the primary and secondary school system devolved from the central government to municipalities. Sweden also created a voucher system to give parents choice of schools, with the aim of creating more efficiencies across the system. The reforms extended to higher education, where Sweden allowed post-secondary institutions—including teacher education programs—greater flexibility in exchange for performance-based funding. The new policies were maintained by the Social Democrats who came back to office in the mid-1990s.

These dramatic reforms led to more than a decade of declines in student performance on both international and national tests, accompanied by widening achievement gaps and new challenges in recruiting teachers. By 2010, Sweden rolled out a series of measures aimed at reestablishing the central government’s role in steering education policy and ensuring quality in schools across the country. Student performance improved significantly over the next decade, although teacher shortages have persisted, despite efforts to boost pay, expand professional development and career progression opportunities, and open second career routes into teaching. Looking ahead, Sweden is now focused on shaping a path forward on the use of AI and other digital technologies in education and adding new program options to boost enrollment in vocational education and skills training to better meet its workforce needs.

Quick Facts

Roles and Responsibilities

The Ministry of Education and Research sets overall policy for preschool through higher education and lifelong learning. Specialized agencies under the purview of the Ministry carry out implementation and oversight. Key agencies include:

• The National Agency for Education (Skolverket) oversees implementation of education policies from preschool to adult education: it develops curriculum guidelines, distributes funding, and provides system-level support.
• The Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education (Myndigheten för yrkeshögskolan) identifies labor market needs, determines which programs are offered within higher vocational education, and distributes public funding to providers. It is also responsible for monitoring quality and evaluating outcomes in this sector.
• The Swedish Council for Higher Education (Universitets-och högskolerådet) manages admissions and recognition of foreign qualifications, while the Swedish Higher Education Authority is responsible for quality assurance and higher education institutional accountability.
• The Swedish Schools Inspectorate (Skolinspektionen) ensures compliance with the Education Act through quality reviews of preschools through adult education programs.
• The Swedish National Council of Adult Education (Folkbildningsrådet) allocates funding to providers of non-formal education.

Sweden’s education system is highly decentralized. Its 290 municipalities hold primary responsibility for operating and financing schools, managing resources, and assigning students. Each municipality has a municipal council responsible for organizing education at the early childhood, primary, secondary, and adult levels. Each council also establishes committees to ensure the municipality’s educational activities, including securing funding, recruitment of staff, and provision of facilities, align with national guidelines and regulations.

Families have broad rights to school choice under a national voucher system introduced in 1992, which allows funding to follow students to either public (municipal) schools or private (independent) schools. Independent schools include those with a religious association or those applying a particular pedagogy, such as Montessori or International Baccalaureate. Independent schools serve about 15 percent of primary and 30 percent of secondary school students.

Goal Setting and Planning

Each year, the Ministry of Education and Research requests budget appropriations from its Parliament (Riksdag) to fund its proposed education program. The Riksdag approves or amends the requests, which the Ministry then translates into directions for each agency. For example, in 2024 the Ministry assigned the National Agency for Education a set of key focus areas and included specific tasks and budget allocations for each. Among the focus areas were strengthening teacher quality and supply and promoting entrepreneurship and innovation in education. For the former, the agency was directed to prepare and implement the new national professional program for teachers, set to launch in 2025; for the latter, the agency was directed to manage new national grants and fund non-governmental organizations. All agencies develop annual reports on their progress and develop budget proposals for the upcoming three years.

In key priority areas, the Ministry of Education also develops targeted mid- to long-term strategies. For example, in response to declining enrollment in science and technology programs, the Ministry launched a strategy in 2025 with the goal of significantly increasing the share of upper secondary and university students participating in STEM programs by 2035.

On the important subject of digitalization, the Ministry assigned the National Agency for Education to develop a national strategy for the school system spanning 2023-27, with two overarching goals: developing students’ digital competence and using digital tools to strengthen teaching and learning. In 2024, the Ministry decided not to proceed with the strategy, however, after neuroscientists and pediatricians raised concerns about children’s cognitive development and well-being in relation to screen use. Since then, schools have scaled back significantly on screen use.

Accountability

The Swedish Schools Inspectorate ensures that local authorities and independent schools adhere to regulations through periodic school inspections and evaluations of the education system. It oversees preschool through upper secondary school and adult education. The Inspectorate performs both targeted inspections, conducted as needed to supervise a newly established school or to investigate specific risks, complaints, or deficiencies, and planned inspections, preventive reviews that cover all aspects of school operations, with priority given to low-performing or at risk schools. Inspections are infrequent; in 2024, for example, the Inspectorate performed targeted or planned inspections at only around three percent of schools. The Inspectorate also organizes thematic inspections on specific national priorities or emerging issues. Recent examples include the implementation of digital national tests and the availability of textbooks and learning materials.

Since 2010, the Inspectorate has administered an annual school survey to collect views from parents, guardians, students, and teachers. Each survey round includes half of the country’s schools, meaning every school participates every other year. The survey primarily focuses on teaching and learning, individualized learning support for every student, core values ​​and impact, and school safety. National, municipal, and individual school results are published on the National Agency for Education’s website and are used to inform national policy. The Inspectorate also uses the data to inform school evaluation and identify schools in need of support.

The National Agency also administers national monitoring tests (nationella prov) at the end of each level of school (grades 3, 6, and 9) in Swedish, English, and mathematics. Students in grades 6 and 9 take additional tests in science and social studies. The Swedish Higher Education Authority is responsible for quality assurance and accreditation in higher education, evaluating institutions’ internal quality systems and program outcomes in relation to national degree objectives.

The National Agency leads targeted improvement initiatives to support low-performing schools and municipalities. The Agency coordinates and funds efforts, providing research-based guidance, external expertise, and professional development. Municipalities and school providers take responsibility for implementing the development plans, while university partners often assist with evaluation and research. Together, these stakeholders conduct a joint needs analysis, develop an action plan, and implement multi-year improvement strategies focused on strengthening teaching quality, leadership, and systematic school development. The initiative includes preschools and vocational programs.

Financing

Sweden’s 290 municipalities contribute over 90 percent of funding for primary and secondary education. Funds are chiefly raised through local income tax and are allocated to public schools or as vouchers for independent schools. While Swedish law requires municipalities to distribute funds to schools “according to different conditions and needs of children,” it does not specify a funding formula. To ensure equity of education quality regardless of tax base across municipalities, the central government uses an equalization formula based on population, demographics, and socio-economic factors to determine which municipalities need additional funding for schools and which can contribute overflow funds to the general pot. The Swedish government also provides municipalities with additional targeted grants for specific purposes such as vocational equipment, student health supports, or teacher pay raises.

Education in Sweden is free or low cost across the system. Preschool is free for 15 hours per week and publicly subsidized for additional hours. Education from primary to upper secondary is free of charge, whether the student attends a municipal or independent school funded through vouchers. Municipalities fund independent schools at an equivalent per student rate as municipal schools. These schools are not allowed to charge additional tuition, but they may be run for profit. Almost all higher education institutions receive grants from the national government and are also not allowed to charge tuition. There are only a small number of private institutions that operate outside of this system.

Preparing for Long Life Learning: Preschool to Secondary

Preschool

In Sweden, preschool is offered at preschool centers (förskola) or by home-based providers (pedagogisk omsorg). Many municipalities also provide drop-in centers (öppen förskola) that stay-at-home parents and their children can attend to engage in activities with other families. Children from age three to five are entitled to up to 15 hours of free care per week. State grants help municipalities cover preschool costs, including additional resources for children who need them. Some municipalities allow preschools to charge fees for additional hours based on total household income, the number of children in the family attending preschool, and the ages of the children. Fees are capped at an upper income limit. As of 2024, 96 percent of Swedish children ages four and five attend preschool. Sweden’s Public Health Agency recommends no more than one hour of daily screen time for children ages two to five, so digital learning tools are not used in early childhood settings unless there is a specific pedagogical purpose.

Preschools operate for a minimum of 15 hours per week. Sweden’s national preschool curriculum is play-based, encouraging a mix of child-directed and educator-directed learning activities that support students’ exploration, communication, creativity, health, and well-being. The curriculum sets national goals and guidelines across eight areas: norms and values; care, development and learning; participation and influence of the child; preschool and home; transfer and collaboration; follow-up, evaluation and development; responsibilities of preschool teachers in teaching; and the head of school’s responsibilities. In 2025, Sweden revised the curriculum to emphasize reading instruction and restrict the use of digital learning tools.

When children transition into primary education, preschools and primary schools collaborate to evaluate and document each student’s learning progress. Both preschools and primary schools also communicate with parents about the transition, including what documentation is handed over from preschool and how the primary school supports individual student needs.

Primary and Secondary System

Structure

Compulsory schooling in Sweden is for ten years, from age six through 16. Children attend one year of pre-primary at age six, which will be incorporated as the new grade 1 starting in 2028. Students are typically assigned to the school nearest to their home, but parents may choose another municipal or independent school by submitting an application. A significant percentage of students choose to apply to a school other than the one assigned to them, particularly in larger cities. Independent schools determine admission based on their own policies—which can include the order of applications received, proximity to the students’ home, sibling priority, or preparation for specializations for upper secondary schools—but are not allowed to select students by grades or ability. Sami children have the additional option of choosing Sami schools, which combine the national curriculum with Sami language and cultural education.

Students typically attend a unified compulsory school (grundskole) for grades 1-9. They generally remain in the same cohort of students throughout the grades and are taught by the same teacher in the early grades. Mixed-age classes are common.

Students move on to a common three-year upper secondary school which offers a choice of 18 national programs, of which 12 are vocational and six are preparatory for higher education. To qualify for any national program, a student must have passing grades in Swedish (or Swedish as a second language), English, and mathematics. Admission to vocational programs requires passing grades in an additional five subjects, while admission to a higher education preparatory program requires nine. Some programs require minimum grades in specific subjects like geography, history, religion, or social studies. Programs in the arts and sports may have their own admission requirements, sometimes combined with tests. Students apply to programs with guidance from school counselors. Approximately one-third of all upper secondary students enroll in vocational programs and two-thirds in preparatory programs for higher education.

Students submit applications for admission to upper secondary schools through a central system, where they prioritize their preferred programs and schools. Admission is based primarily on final grades from grundskole. Grades are converted into points, and the sum of a student’s 16 best grades determines their merit rating. Programs use this number to determine selection when demand for admission exceeds capacity. Students who are not yet prepared to apply may enroll in introductory programs, which last one to three years and help them to qualify for a national program or prepare them for the labor market.

Standards and Curriculum

The National Agency for Education develops curricula for grundskole and upper secondary schools in accordance with Sweden’s 2010 Education Act to “encourage all students to become creative, competent and responsible individuals and citizens” while promoting human rights, fundamental democratic values, and lifelong learning. The curricula set out national goals and core values as well as a syllabus with specific knowledge requirements for each subject or course, but give municipalities, schools, and teachers broad flexibility in implementation. Independent schools that receive public funding must follow the same curricula as municipal schools.

Schools and teachers are free to select or develop whatever teaching materials work best for their students. The National Agency for Education maintains a database of teaching resources with lesson plans across all subjects and levels of education. The national curriculum encourages teachers to use inquiry-based and discovery-oriented pedagogy that fosters critical thinking, creativity, and student capacity and responsibility around learning.

The national curriculum for grundskole is organized by grade bands (grades 1-3, grades 4-6 and grades 7-9) with explicit progression in knowledge and skills across each stage. Students study a broad set of subjects: Swedish (or Swedish as a second language), English, mathematics, science, social studies, technology, arts, crafts, physical education and health, home and consumer studies, and languages. The curriculum also includes minimum required learning time for each subject by grade band.

The upper secondary curriculum is based on programs. The six academic programs are business management and economics, arts, humanities, natural science, social science, and technology. The 12 vocational programs are varied and include areas such as handicraft, IT, hotel and tourism, health and social care, and natural resource use. Students choose between the apprenticeship pathway or the school-based pathway.

Completion of programs is credit-based: each requires 2,500 credits, typically completed over three years. All programs include foundation subjects, program-specific subjects, and free electives. The credit distribution among these courses varies by program for foundation and program-specific courses; all students have 200 free elective credits. The foundation subjects are Swedish (or Swedish as a second language), English, mathematics, history, science, social studies, religion, and physical education and health. Students in different programs take these subjects at different levels, and some require different numbers of courses in each. Program-specific courses include both required courses and those students choose depending on their interest or chosen sub-specialization.

Assessment and Credentialing

In Sweden, assessment is primarily classroom based. Teachers evaluate students’ progress, assign grades according to the national grading scale, and design their own tests or assignments to support this process. At the grundskole level, the national curriculum requires that students receive formal grades by the end of every semester from grade 6 onward, although a school principal can decide to start as early as grade 4.

Schools conduct national tests at the end of each school level (grades 3, 6, and 9) for Swedish, English, and mathematics. In grades 6 and 9, students also take tests in science and social studies. The format of the national tests varies. Many of them include oral components: in English, oral communication tests assess students’ pronunciation, interaction, and fluency; in mathematics, students often participate in short group discussion tasks where they explain reasoning and problem-solving strategies; and in Swedish, speaking and listening tests are conducted in small groups or pairs to assess students’ ability to express and interpret ideas. Grade 3 tests in Swedish and mathematics are designed around children’s stories to reduce test pressure and make them more engaging.

National tests are used to support teachers in evaluating student progress and help ensure consistent grading across the country. Teachers are required to consider the results of national tests, together with other evidence of student progress, when assigning grades. Sweden halted its planned launch of a digital version of the tests in 2025 when it discovered technical shortcomings in the new test platform.

At the upper secondary level, students are also assessed by classroom evaluations and national tests. Course grades are listed individually on the transcript and all contribute to the student’s merit rating (grade-point average) for higher education admission. In 2025, Sweden introduced a subject-based grading system, where students receive a single grade per subject that is a combination of all course grades in that subject. The aim is to provide a more accurate reflection of students’ overall subject knowledge at the end of their studies. Students take a national test in Swedish in the first and last years of upper secondary school; the results are used by teachers to plan lessons and assign final grades in addition to being used to monitor schools. Mandatory exams in English and math were eliminated in 2018 to alleviate student stress and teacher workloads, although schools may still choose to administer these exams.

Sweden uses a grading scale from A to F. The national curriculum specifies detailed guidelines for grades A, C, and E in each subject for grades 6 and 9 in grundskole and each course in upper secondary education. Despite this guidance and targeted professional development, grading disparities persist across schools. In 2025, the government proposed shifting to a 1-10 numeric grading scale and directly factoring national tests into final grades as a way to better ensure fairness and comparability of grading for students.

To earn a diploma from upper secondary school requires passing grades in at least 2,250 of the required 2,500 credits as well as completing a diploma project. The diploma project includes an internship, a portfolio of work in a specialized area, or a research project. Portfolios and research projects can include both individual and group work. Graduates of higher education preparatory programs and vocational programs receive different diplomas. Students who do not meet the full requirements for a diploma are awarded a certificate of studies.

Digital Resources

Equal access to digital tools has been one of the key focus areas of Sweden’s national school digitization strategy since 2017. For nearly a decade, most municipalities and schools have implemented one-to-one device programs, giving each student access to a personal computer or tablet. Municipalities and schools decide independently which digital textbooks, learning management systems, and e-book platforms to use.

The National Agency of Education provides teachers with a wide range of digital resources. Materials are organized by subject and grade level and include pedagogical guidance, assignments, student self-assessment tools, and diagnostic tests. For example, support in English includes digital reading comprehension exercises and tools for evaluating students’ digital literacy.

The Swedish government has paused further implementation of its digital strategy due to widespread concerns in Sweden about the impact of excessive screen time on students and declining reading scores. Citing research evidence and with significant public support, the current government launched initiatives promoting more reading time and less screen time in schools and implemented new regulations for collecting mobile phones during the school day in preschools and compulsory schools. The National Agency for Education has also issued guidelines to help teachers choose and use digital learning aids appropriately and introduced a new grant for schools to purchase printed textbooks for all students. The goal is to ensure that every student has access to a staffed school library with hard copy books, with plans to make this an annual allocation.

Learning Supports

Struggling Learners

Sweden provides broad but flexible support for struggling students, mostly organized at the municipal and school level. School principals are required to investigate cases of chronic absenteeism and ensure that appropriate support is provided to help the student return to regular attendance. Students are screened in Grade 1 for reading difficulties and schools are required to offer supports. Municipalities are responsible for identifying and supporting early school leavers under the age of 20 and offering pathways back into education. Municipalities work with families and develop individualized plans for the students, as well as maintain student records and document the measures taken to re-engage them.

Special Learning Needs

The Swedish education system is guided by the basic principle “a school for all,” meaning that all students have the right to special support measures when needed. Under the Education Act, a student is considered to have special learning needs if they are at risk of not meeting learning objectives or have other difficulties in school. These difficulties are broadly defined and do not require a formal diagnosis. Instead, schools are required to conduct assessments to identify barriers to learning and organize support. Since 2014, Sweden has differentiated between additional adaptations, minor supports provided by teachers within regular instruction, and special support, more intensive interventions requiring a formal individual support plan. Those requiring only additional adaptations are no longer classified as having special educational needs. This policy change reduced the share of students classified as having special educational needs from 12 percent in 2013 to 7 percent in 2025.

When a student is at risk of not meeting learning requirements, the teacher is required to assess whether additional support is needed. If the teacher thinks adequate support (or adaptations) can be provided in the classroom without additional resources, the teacher takes on that responsibility and must monitor progress. If the teacher thinks more extensive support (or special support) is needed, the principal is informed and initiates a broader evaluation involving the school nurse, psychologist, and social worker, and this team creates a formal action plan. Schools are responsible for providing resources, which may include language support, additional or specialist teachers, and special arrangements for assessment. Students who currently meet grade requirements but are at risk of falling behind without continued support are also eligible.

Sweden serves almost all students needing special support in mainstream classrooms. Some municipalities organize special classes within mainstream schools to serve those who need more individualized or intensive support. Only about one percent of students are served in these classrooms. Another one percent of students with severe disabilities are served in special schools. The National Agency for Special Needs Education and Schools operates nine state special needs schools across Sweden, offering free full-time, part-time, and boarding options for students with disabilities.

There are two kinds of special education specialists: special needs teachers (speciallärare) who directly teach students in special classrooms or schools, and special needs educators (specialpedagog) who work with classroom teachers to design adaptations and assess student progress. Schools for students with learning disabilities follow an adapted national curriculum

Advanced Learners

Swedish schools are obliged to provide opportunities for all learners, including advanced students who may need additional guidance and challenge. Although there have been some national pilots of specialized programming since the 2010s, advanced learning has been left primarily to schools and teachers. In 2019, Sweden tasked the National Agency with making recommendations in this area. The recommendation was to develop additional resources to support teachers in grundskole and to create programming for students only at the upper secondary level. New grundskole teacher toolkits were created in 2022, and in 2025, the Agency created a process for locally-designed upper secondary programs that offer students more challenging material. Schools design programs and submit them to the National Agency for approval. Once approved, schools can access special funding to implement the new programs but they must be open to all students, even those outside the school catchment areas. Programs often require entrance tests, portfolios, or interviews in addition to grades from compulsory schools for admission.

CTE and Long Life Learning

System Overview

The Ministry of Education and Research oversees Sweden’s vocational education and training system and sets its overall policy framework. Two agencies of the Ministry, the National Agency for Education and the National Agency for Higher Vocational Education, create and update curriculum and guidelines for upper secondary programs and post-secondary programs, respectively. The Agencies are responsible for ensuring programs align with labor market needs and approve program design, funding allocations, and coordination with industry partners.

National program councils made up of employers, trade unions, and other stakeholders advise the Agencies in updating curricula, program goals, and credentials to ensure students are learning the skills they need to be successful in the workforce. Employers also partner with VET providers—upper secondary schools for secondary level programs and municipal training centers and private providers for higher vocational programs—to provide work-based learning opportunities. The Swedish Schools Inspectorate supports program quality assurance and improvement for VET.

Sweden has a long history of apprenticeship training. Although the formal system was dismantled in the 18th century, informal paid apprenticeship remained the predominant form of training in the trades through the 1960s, at which point Sweden created a comprehensive upper secondary school offering both academic and vocational courses. In 1995, the Agency for Higher Vocational Education restructured its programs so that all graduates of upper secondary school met curriculum requirements for university admission. In 2011, the Agency reversed this policy as part of a broader reform to create distinct academic and vocational programs within the upper secondary school. The rationale was twofold: stakeholders were concerned that the vocational offerings in upper secondary school were not well connected to labor market needs, and students were dropping out of programs at a high rate. The Agency’s goal was to create a set of robust, updated, and tightly focused vocational programs aligned to industry needs that would increase their relevance to employers and students alike. That set of programs became the 12 programs in place today. The Agency also added a work-based learning component to all vocational programs, including an optional apprenticeship-based route, and strengthened career guidance. In 2022, the government again reversed course and required vocational programs to be redesigned to include university entrance requirements. The rationale was to encourage higher levels of participation in vocational programs to address Sweden’s skills gaps and also to encourage lifelong learning.

The apprenticeship route for adults also shifted in the mid-20th century, as the national government began to fund and operate a system of vocational training for adults. Responsibility for this system shifted to the municipalities in the 1990s, along with most other aspects of the education system. It was not until 2001 that an advanced level of vocational education was created and 2009 when the national government created state-funded short term upgrade training designed with employers. Today, the program areas of higher vocational education mirror the 12 industry areas for upper secondary level programs. Adults access these programs primarily in municipal adult training centers or private companies approved as providers by the National Agency for Higher Vocational Education.

Vocational credentials at all levels are aligned to Sweden’s National Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning.

Secondary and Postsecondary CTE

Sweden’s 12 vocational programs are childcare and recreation; building and construction; electricity and energy; vehicle and transport; business; handicraft; health and social care; restaurant management and food; IT; natural resource use; HVAC and property maintenance; and hotels and tourism. All programs include instruction in eight foundation subjects, program-specific courses, and electives; students are also required to complete a diploma project. Program specializations reflect local and regional workforce needs. Students can transfer programs if they determine another program would be a better fit.

For any of the 12 programs, students choose between the school-based pathway, which is approximately 85 percent coursework and 15 percent work-based learning, and the apprenticeship pathway, which requires a minimum of 50 percent work-based learning. Approximately 13 percent of VET students become apprentices. All work-based learning experiences are organized through contracts between the vocational school and the employer to ensure students are learning specific skills aligned with their program of study. Employers must assign a mentor to support students in the workplace. Mentors are trained by the National Agency for Education and co-design students’ tasks alongside vocational teachers, and teachers may incorporate the feedback mentors provide to students into their final program grades. Local program councils support collaboration between VET schools and employers. If a single apprenticeship cannot be secured, apprentices sometimes train at multiple workplaces. The government offers grants to incentivize employers to train apprentices; apprentices are also eligible for an additional study allowance.

In recent years, the percentage of upper secondary VET students has decreased, leading the government to create new and more flexible pathways into VET programs; streamline application processes; and offer additional career guidance supports, including requiring vocational orientation in years 8 and 9.

Higher vocational education (HVE) consists of one- to three-year VET programs that lead to a higher or advanced vocational education diploma. As with the upper secondary programs, these HVE programs include a mix of work-based training and school-based learning in the same 12 broad areas, though advanced degrees offer more options for specialization. National program councils regularly update HVE courses to reflect changes in the labor market, with recent emphasis on promoting programs related to digitalization, energy efficiency, and sustainability.

Sweden offers nearly 900 HVE programs with flexible learning pathways. To enter HVE, candidates must hold an upper-secondary diploma and meet all prerequisites, typically including a combination of practical and academic experiences. Some programs require written tests or interviews. Once admitted, learners can take individual courses or follow a program of study that leads to a full credential, either a one-year higher vocational education diploma or a two-year advanced diploma. Whatever path they choose, about 25 percent of students’ training takes place in the workplace. Many programs offer accelerated pathways for learners who already have professional experience.

School fees for learners under age 20 are typically covered by municipalities through a tax-funded voucher system, with vouchers paid directly to the training providers. For learners age 20 or older, student aid (studiemedel)—including grants, low-interest loans, and supplementary allowances—is available for upper secondary and post-secondary programs. In 2023, the government introduced retraining funding to encourage unemployed workers to reskill or upskill through VET programs; learners can receive 80 percent of their salary plus a loan for up to 44 weeks of full-time studies or longer for part-time studies.

Joining Forces to Ensure All Learners Thrive

Supports for the Well-being of Young Children and Families

The Swedish Social Insurance Agency provides extensive financial supports for parents and young children. Both parents can begin receiving parental benefits 60 days before the estimated due date, ensuring time for prenatal classes or care visits. They receive 480 days of paid parental leave per child, with 390 days at 80 percent of their income and 90 days at a flat rate. Parental leave days can be used until the child is twelve years old. The non-pregnant parent can receive an additional 10 days of leave to be present at the delivery and to take care of other children in the family.

Families receive a universal child allowance until the child turns 16 years old. They can also claim temporary parental benefits to care for a sick child, up to 120 days per year until the child turns 12. There is a housing allowance for families with children who need help paying for their housing. Childcare is guaranteed and publicly subsidized for all children from age one to three. As of 2024, about 80 percent of children ages 1-3 participated.

Preventive health services are universal and free. Child Health Centres (barnavårdscentralen) provide regular check-ups from birth to age six with developmental screening. Dental care for children and young people up to age 20 is free.

Supports for the Well-being of School-age Children

School-age children in Sweden also receive significant health and social supports. The Education Act requires every school to provide comprehensive student health services, including access to a school nurse, school doctor, psychologist, and social worker. Sweden also provides hot school lunches free to all students in compulsory school and to most students in upper secondary school. Students can participate in extra-curricular activities in municipal-run programs, usually at no cost, as municipalities apply for government grants to support these activities. Going one step further, in 2025 the Swedish government launched a government-funded “leisure activity card” to be used by children aged eight to 16 to pay for any recreation and cultural activities that charge a fee.

Special programs support Sweden’s growing population of immigrant students. “Newly arrived students” (nyanländ) can participate in these programs for up to four years. Schools assess the health, educational status, and language proficiency of these students in order to determine grade level and support group placement. An introductory language program is provided, and Swedish as a second language can continue as a special subject for any students who need continuing instruction. In 2025, the government proposed new initiatives to strengthen Swedish language proficiency among struggling learners who are learning it as a second language. The plan includes developing three-year intensive training programs and establishing out-of-school learning centers focused on improving students’ reading ability and Swedish language skills. Students with a native language other than Swedish have the right to receive native language classes in compulsory school, which are often held outside school hours.

In recent years, Sweden has focused on strengthening supports for student health and well-being and better coordinating services across agencies. In 2023, the National Board of Health and Welfare was commissioned to develop a national health program for children and young people in partnership with five other government agencies for education, public health, law, and evaluation. The program will include regular health check-ups featuring both physical examinations and conversations with children and young people about their well-being, as well as parent supports. The National Board has held regular meetings with both experts and young people from age four to 20 to understand their current situation and identify their needs. The final proposal is expected in early 2027.

Sweden also adopted a renewed national mental health and suicide prevention strategy in 2023 to enhance supports for young people in schools and add programming to community-based Youth Guidance Centers. Finally, Sweden conducts several surveys to monitor health and well-being: The Public Health Agency of Sweden administers periodic surveys of student health and youth public health policy effectiveness and the Ministry’s Agency for Youth and Civil Society conducts studies and annual reports on young people’s well-being in Sweden.

High-Capacity Educators

Teachers

Recruitment and Retention

As one of the few professions requiring formal education throughout the 19th century, teachers in Sweden have long held a coveted and respected position in Swedish society. While teaching is no longer the sought-after career it once was, almost 80 percent of Swedish teachers still report feeling highly valued by parents or guardians, and almost as many feel valued by students. Yet teaching shortages that began to emerge in the mid 2000s have persisted. This has been coupled with a decline in the competitiveness of teacher salaries, which are currently only about 80 percent of those of comparably-educated professions.

Sweden has taken significant steps to address the shortage of teachers and decline in teacher quality, starting with a major reform aimed at strengthening teacher education and certification in 2011, as well as new career pathways for veteran teachers and better support for new teachers. In 2016, Sweden initiated the “Teacher’s Boost”—a supplement provided by the National Agency for Education to make teacher salaries more competitive that continues today. Sweden has also added fast track certification programs and, most recently in 2025, a new national professional development program with certification levels for teachers. Some of these efforts have shown results, with the share of new teachers who say teaching was their first-choice profession rising and the share who say they plan to leave the profession dropping over the last five years.

Teacher unions negotiate collective national agreement around teacher working conditions and hours but not pay scales. Salaries are negotiated individually between teachers and schools or municipalities. Teacher recruitment in Sweden is also highly decentralized, with hiring decisions made by municipalities and independent school providers, rather than through a placement system. Schools advertise vacancies publicly, and candidates apply directly to the employing authority. To be eligible for a permanent teaching position, applicants must hold a relevant degree and certification issued by the National Agency of Education. Schools in remote areas or hiring in subjects facing persistent teacher shortages (such as vocational and special education needs) often employ non-fully qualified teachers through temporary contracts while encouraging them to complete teacher training.

Preparation and Induction

Until the 1990s, university teacher preparation programs were overseen centrally by the Ministry of Education and Research. In the 1990s, the Ministry handed oversight to individual universities as part of its decentralization of the system. The institutions developed varied programs leading to a flexible single higher education degree for all levels and types of teachers, with the goal of building a common knowledge base and forging a strong, highly professionalized educator identity.

Faced with concerns about the quality of the teaching force, the Ministry radically changed this structure in 2011 when it set new requirements for differentiated degrees for preschool, primary, subject, and vocational teachers with certifications by grade span and subject. While the Ministry’s objective with this highly differentiated and rigid certification system was to raise teacher quality, some education stakeholders believe it explains the high number of teachers lacking full certification.

Today, teacher education is provided by 25 universities and university colleges across Sweden. Preschool and primary teachers earn a bachelor’s degree; preschool teacher programs typically last three and a half years, while primary school programs last four. Primary teachers specialize in grade span 1-3 or 4-6. Subject teachers earn a combined bachelor’s and master’s degree in programs of about five and a half years. They specialize in grades 7-9 or upper secondary subjects. Some universities collaborate with municipalities to offer part-time study options, allowing students to work as teachers while completing their degree. There is also an 18-month university program for vocational teachers which focuses on education science and pedagogical skills along with practicum. Many of the participants are second-career teaching candidates and already have vocational diplomas or qualifications.

Admission to teacher preparation programs is quite competitive. Admission is generally based on upper secondary school grades and scores from the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test; some programs also require prior professional experiences or specific coursework. All teacher education programs are tuition-free, as higher education is grant-aided in Sweden.

All teacher education programs integrate education studies, subject knowledge, and school-based practicums. The practicum component, typically lasting 20 weeks, is distributed across several semesters and jointly supervised by university lecturers and experienced school mentors. Teachers receive a certification from the National Agency for Education when they complete an approved program and are certified for specific grade levels and subjects. Sweden recently introduced accelerated qualification routes for individuals with prior academic or professional experience.

Newly certified teachers are required to participate in a one-year induction period, coordinated by the employing municipality or school. The induction includes mentoring by an experienced teacher and covers practical skills such as classroom leadership, lesson planning, and assessment. The induction period is considered probationary, and new teachers must be assessed as competent at the end of the year to stay in their positions. Municipalities and schools develop their own assessment process, and the school principal is responsible for ensuring the standard of its design, implementation, and documentation. The National Agency for Education has developed guidelines and tools for principals to use.

Roles and Career Progression

Most teachers in Sweden remain in classroom roles throughout their careers, although some progress into leadership positions such as Assistant Principals, Principals, or Municipal Education Officers. Policy reforms in the early 2010s introduced additional differentiated roles, aiming to recognize and retain skilled educators and enable them to support their colleagues.

Two roles were introduced: First Teacher (förstelärare) and Senior Teacher (lektor). First Teachers are required to teach at least 50 percent of their time and to take on responsibilities such as mentoring colleagues, leading professional learning, and coordinating curriculum and lesson development. Senior Teachers, also required to teach at least 50 percent of their time, contribute to research-based school improvement and support subject expertise of the school faculty. Senior Teachers must have at least four years of work experience, hold an advanced teaching certification or doctoral degree, and demonstrate documented teaching excellence. Selection for both positions is managed locally; many schools require a teaching demonstration, extensive interviews, and recommendations. Teachers appointed to these roles receive additional pay, which is subsidized by the National Agency for Education. Over 80 percent of Swedish municipalities now have First Teachers, though there are only about 1,000 Senior Teachers across the country.

Evaluation and Professional Learning

Teacher evaluation in Sweden is organized locally. Principals usually conduct annual performance reviews linked to professional development planning and salary negotiation. There is no national teacher appraisal system or requirement for appraisal.

Teachers have dedicated time—approximately 104 hours per year—for professional development within their regulated work hours. Professional development is often organized at the school or municipal level, including study days, collaborative planning, and research circles. The National Agency for Education hosts a platform that lists all courses and training. Recent offerings have emphasized digital competence, inclusive education, and national curriculum changes.

In September 2025, the government launched a new national professional development program that consists of a unified structure for professional competence development and a qualification system for certified teachers. The levels are based on years of teaching experience and academic credits and credentials. The qualification system has four levels, each with specific criteria. Level 1, for example, requires a teacher to have a teacher certificate, at least six years of teaching experience, and completion of at least 15 credits (about 375 to 450 hours) of qualifying education. Practical research projects can qualify as credits towards moving up levels.

For a course to count as qualifying education, it must be relevant to teaching within the school system and be at undergraduate or postgraduate level, covering areas such as subject knowledge, cognitive science, or leadership studies. The qualification system does not directly impact teacher salaries nor are there specific roles teachers at each level are expected to play. It is not yet clear if or how these levels will relate to qualifying for First and Senior Teacher roles.

Leaders

Roles and Responsibilities

In Sweden, school leadership is defined by the Education Act, which stipulates that each school must have a principal with overarching responsibility for the educational, organizational, and financial management of the school. The principal serves as both pedagogical leader and administrative head of the school, accountable to the school board or the municipal education committee.

Although leadership structures are relatively flat, larger schools may also appoint assistant or deputy principals to oversee specific functions such as student welfare, curriculum coordination, or special education.

Recruitment, Preparation, and Development

Principals in Sweden are recruited locally by municipalities or independent school providers through open application processes. Candidates are typically experienced teachers with proven leadership capacity. While there are no formal national requirements for a principal license, all newly appointed principals must complete the National School Leadership Programme (Rektorsprogrammet). The program is coordinated by the National Agency for Education and delivered through selected universities. Principals are expected to dedicate approximately 20 percent of overall working time over three years to the program, which covers major content areas of school law, school development and evaluation, and leadership. The program combines seminars, applied projects, and peer learning and is free of charge for participating principals.

The National Agency also offers further professional development programs for principals. These programs include undergraduate-level courses, which typically require a year to finish, as well as shorter courses, webinars, and conferences.