How do private schools work in Sweden?
As a teacher working in one, I feel qualified to answer
All schools, private or public, are required to follow the same basic curriculum, but with some space for specialisation. Education is funded by the local "kommun" (local government, population mostly somewhere between 5000 and 200 000), and a private school gets paid as much for each student as the kommun has costs for a student in a public school. Outside of this, private schools are free to seek sponsorships from companies, but anyone wanting public money cannot also charge fees for attendance. One of the discussions about whether this is fair is because public schools have to a) accept any students and b) pay for administrative overhead that private ones don't (think a local department of education).
Anyone must be allowed into a private school, allowed criteria to select students are queue time, closeness and sibling ties. If there's a focus on music or dance, tests in this are allowed, not so for other subjects. After year 9, grades are used just as they are for public secondary schools.
Private schools can be run and owned by associations or companies (including for-profits, which is a sticking point for the left). In some cases this has led to large corporations who run schools in many Swedish cities, while the one I work at is owned by the family who were involved in starting it.
All schools have to be certified by the School Inspection, and they are currently tightening the rules so that they'll be closer to what the public schools face.
Talking more about my own case, we are a secondary school (year 10-12) that has a focus on horses, with our students focusing on either jumping, dressage or harness racing. We offer theoretical profiles (natural or social sciences) as well as an option more focused finding a job straight after school. It's only our second year, and we have around 15 students in each year (after setting our limits to 20, but neither year filled up).
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I am the Demon of Delightfulness and Sinister Smirkings!
e^(πi)+1=0
identity named after the Terry Pratchett of 18th century mathematics
I am the Demon of Delightfulness and Sinister Smirkings!
e^(πi)+1=0
identity named after the Terry Pratchett of 18th century mathematics
Some changes Sweden really need.
28/09/2009 01:38:41 PM
- 601 Views
Wow, so much to disagree with, I think my brain over-loaded
28/09/2009 01:54:16 PM
- 406 Views
So... brains aren't fully developed until 20, but 16 year olds should be tried as adults?
28/09/2009 07:30:49 PM
- 386 Views
No, as juveniles?
28/09/2009 08:42:42 PM
- 346 Views
Sweden's driving age is 18?
28/09/2009 09:27:16 PM
- 363 Views
Re: Sweden's driving age is 18?
29/09/2009 10:30:50 AM
- 365 Views
Interesting
29/09/2009 02:08:42 AM
- 346 Views
Re: Interesting
29/09/2009 07:04:27 AM
- 479 Views
Re: Interesting
29/09/2009 10:49:35 AM
- 355 Views
I doubt it
29/09/2009 12:46:45 PM
- 388 Views
Re: Interesting
29/09/2009 11:43:49 AM
- 445 Views
Re: Private schools here
29/09/2009 12:08:09 PM
- 363 Views