According to the Swedish Education Act, all children and youths shall have equal access to education. The education shall “provide the pupils with knowledge and, in co-operation with the homes, promote their harmonious development into responsible human beings and members of the community.”
In Sweden, attendance at school is compulsory for all children aged 7-16. The age when children may start school is flexible: a child can start school as a 6, 7 or 8-year-old. Compulsory school is free of charge.
Pre-school
Pre-school is a pedagogical group activity for children aged from 1 year until they start school. Pre-school combines child care with pedagogical work in an activity that takes day-long responsibility for the whole child. There is great scope for play and creativity as well as for the child's own exploration.
Pre-schools are open all year round. Daily opening hours are adapted to suit the work or studies of parents and the needs of the children.
Municipalities are permitted to charge a reasonable fee for a place in a preschool or family daycare. Municipalities may apply a maximum fee for preschool activities and childcare for schoolchildren. For preschools, the system means that families are charged a maximum of 3, 2 or 1 percent of the combined household income for the household's first, second and third child, respectively. The monthly fee must, however, not exceed 1260 SEK for the first child, 840 SEK for the second, and 420 SEK for the third child in preschool activities.
For more information about the costs for pre-school, please visit the local government website.
Pre-school class
The preschool class is a non-compulsory form of education within the public school system, designed to prepare children for compulsory school and to stimulate each child's development and learning, and to provide a platform for their future schooling. The pre-school class combines the pedagogical methods of the pre-school with those of compulsory school. The majority of 6-year-olds in Sweden are enrolled in preschool classes.
Compulsory school
Compulsory school is mandatory and is open to all children aged 7-16. The same standard of education is to be provided throughout the country and is to provide a platform for further studies.
There are municipal schools, which means that the municipality is the principal, and privately run schools. Students and their parents have the right to choose between municipal schools and privately run (independent) schools.
Independent schools are open to all children and must have been approved by the National Agency for Education. Teaching in independent schools is to have more or less the same objectives as those of the municipal school, but can have an orientation that differs from that of the municipal schools.
The school (academic) year normally begins at the end of August and runs to the beginning of June the following year, comprising a total of about 40 weeks. The regular school week is five days long, Monday through Friday. A longer holiday of just over two weeks is taken from around the 20th December to the beginning of January.
Leaving certificates are issued when the pupil finishes compulsory school. Pupils are no longer obliged to attend school after the end of the spring term of the calendar year in which they turn 16.
Upper secondary school
Every municipality in Sweden is required by law to offer all students who have completed compulsory school an upper secondary education. Upper secondary education is free and a non-compulsory form of school. There are 17 national programs, all of which are 3-year programs. The programs provide a broad general education and eligibility to study at the university or post-secondary level.
Upper secondary school is free of charge.
Application process
The application process for preschool to upper secondary school differs from community to community. Contact the school to get the correct information about how to apply.