Sweden some basic facts Population 9 107 649

Sweden some basic facts • Population • • • 9 107 649 ( 31 Oct 2006) About the same size as Spain Distance from south to north 1600 km Unemployed rate 4, 6 % Inflation 1, 3 % Average lifetime male 78, 4 years, female 82, 8 years Number of municipalities 290 • • Number of pupils in compulsory school 995 000 upper secondary education 360 000 Education costs 206 000 000 SEK (8 % of GDP) Utbildningsdepartementet

Ministers at the Ministry of Education and Research Lars Leijonborg Minister for Education and Research Ministry of Education and Research Jan Björklund Minister for Schools

Minister for Education and Research Lars Leijonborg Areas of responsibility Head of Ministry Higher education Research Study financing Ministry of Education and Research

Minister for Schools Jan Björklund Areas of responsibility Pre-school system Compulsory and upper secondary schools Adult education Vocational education and training Liberal adult education Ministry of Education and Research

• National Board of Student Aid • Government agencies • Swedish National Agency for Education Higher Education Suspensions Board • Board of Appeal for Education • National Agency for Higher Education • National Agency for Special Schools • Swedish Institute of Space Physics • Institute for Futures Studies • Swedish Institute for Special Needs Education • International Programme Office for Education and Training • National Archive of Recorded Sound and Moving Images • Royal Library • Swedish National Commission for UNESCO • Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences • National Agency for Services to • Swedish National Agency for School Improvement • Swedish Agency for Flexible Leaning • Swedish Polar Research Secretariat Ministry of Education and Research for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Universities and University Colleges • Higher education institutions in Sweden • Swedish Research Council • Board of Appeals for Higher Education • National Board of Appeal for Student Aid • Central Ethical Review Board • European Programmes at VINNOVA

The Swedish School System Key words • Equal access • Management by objectives • Funded by taxes • No fees for tuition • Strongly decentralized • Integrated school system Utbildningsdepartementet

Educational system Higher education: postgraduate studies (2– 4 years) Higher education: undergraduate studies (2– 5, 5 years) Advanced vocational education and training Adult education ** Special school for the deaf and hard of hearing (grades 1– 10) Compulsory school for students with learning disabilities * Liberal adult education *** Upper secondary school (3 years) Sami school (grades 1– 6) Compulsory school (grades 1– 9) School-age childcare (for 6– 12 year olds) Pre-school class (for 6 year olds) * Upper secondary school for students with learning disabilities (4 years) Compulsory schools for students with learning disabilities (grades 1– 9/10) Ministry of Education and Research ** local authority adult education, municipal post-secondary education, adult education for mentally disoriented, suppl. education, Swedish for immigrants Pre-school (for 1– 5 year olds) *** folk high schools, study associations

Upper secondary vocational education • The reform 1990 - The Swedish school system is a goal-based system with a high degree of local responsibility. • The reform had the following objectives: • to raise the general standard of education, • to adapt vocational education to the broad general skills requirements of modern working life, • to create opportunities for lifelong learning, • to minimise the risk of dead ends • to create an upper secondary school for all young people. Utbildningsdepartementet

Utbildningsdepartementet

Programmes in Upper secondary school National programmes Specially design programmes Individual programmes Utbildningsdepartementet

Specially designed programmes • For individuals or groups. • Includes the eight core subjects of the national programs, and corresponds to them in terms of the level of difficulty and number of hours. • To meet local or regional needs. Utbildningsdepartementet

Individual programmes Upper secondary school • For the student to later transfer into a national- or specially designed programmes • Determined by the needs of the individual student • Varies in length and content Utbildningsdepartementet

Students in different programmes 2004 Natural science, Social science, Technology programme 115 000 Vocational oriented programmes 133 000 Specially designed programmes Individual programmes Utbildningsdepartementet 30 000 26 000

Programme structure Ex Vehicle programme 2500 p Branches Core subjets Core 750 p subjects 750 p Common programme specific courses 500 p Ex Computing Vehicles 200 -550 p Aircraft Coachwork Machines and lorries Cars Transport Utbildningsdepartementet Optional Courses 300 650 p p r o j e c t Individually selected courses 300 p

Programme structure Ex Natural Science programme 2500 p Branches 300 p Core subjets Core 750 p subjects 750 p Utbildningsdepartementet Common programme specific courses 850 p Ex Biology A Physics A History A Math. and Computer Science Enviromental sciences Natural science Optional Courses 200 p p r o j e c t Individually selected courses 300 p

All National Programmes Core subjects Course Credit Swedish A 100 Swedish B 100 English A 100 Mathematics Utbildningsdepartementet A 100 Sports&Health A 100 Civics A 100 Religion A 50 General Science 50 Arts 50 (History A 50)

Natural Science Programme Common programme specific courses Course Credit Biology A 100 p English B 100 p Physics A 100 p History A 100 p Chemistry A 100 p Mathematics B 50 p Mathematics C 100 p Mathematics D 100 p Modern languages 100 p Utbildningsdepartementet

Natural Science Programme Branch Mathematics and Computer Science Common courses 300 p Programming A 50 p Mathematics discrete Mathematics E 50 p other cumputer courses 150 p Utbildningsdepartementet Optional courses 200 p examples Biology B Physics B Chemistry B Philosophy Civics Modern languages

Programme structure Ex Vehicle programme 2500 p, Branch transport Year 1 Core subjects Common courses Utbildningsdepartementet Year 3 Year 2 Core subjetcs Branch Transport Common courses Core subjetcs Optional courses Ind. choice Core subject Optional courses Individually selected courses Project

Examples of problems found • Students in vocational programmes leave upper secondary school without a complete set of grades • The students are not enough prepare for future working life • The studies were too fragmented • The students choose of programmes • The schools contacts with the social partners Utbildningsdepartementet

Resultat i PISA 2003 Matematik Källa: Skolverket Utbildningsdepartementet

Government NT-Initiativ • NT-subjects have got more time in school • Technology has become a subject in compulsory school • Mathematics and General Science are coresubjects in USE • A natural science perspective is introduced in USE • NOT-project 2003 -2003 5 million euro • Unemployed engineers were retrained to teachers (2002 -03) • Study grants for NT-studies in higher education 1995 -98 Utbildningsdepartementet

• Nordlab A joint Nordic project 1999 -2004 • Further education of teachers 1999 -2001 • NT-year in adult education or in higher education • NTA-project Financial support • National centers for supporting Ma and NT-education • Financial support to Science centers • Mathemetics Committé 2003 -2004 Utbildningsdepartementet