Vocational Education and Training in Sweden. Comparative Papers in Further Education. Number Nine.

Overview & Synopsis

The context for education in Sweden is for a society in which citizens enjoy economic well-being and social provision. The educational system consists of a grundskol and an integrated upper school combining the gymnasium, vocational school, and the professional school preparing students for subuniversity qualifications. Nineteen higher education institutions are being created. Provision for adult education, which is free, takes many forms. A bill has been implemented that provides for vocational orientation and preparation for the world of work through work experience for all grade levels. Problems of vocational orientation include noninvolvement of teachers, little integration of the work experience into the classroom, insufficient work placements, and disagreements as to the main purpose of work experience. Local school boards are responsible for educating all young people under 18 and may run centers for unemployed youth. These characteristics distinguish the Swedish educational system: education as part of a coherent, planned social strategy to build the ideal society; equality of education for each citizen; emphasis on personal development; relationship with the labor market and economic structure of the country; and centralization. Future developments include decentralization of activities from the National Board of Education and changes in upper secondary education. (YLB)