About compulsory school
Between the ages of 7 and 16, children attend compulsory school, which is mandatory and free of charge. Compulsory school is designed to help pupils acquire and develop knowledge and values. It aims to provide a good foundation for further education.
Compulsory school aims to provide a good foundation for further learning
All children are required to attend compulsory school or an equivalent type of school, such as compulsory school for pupils with intellectual disabilities, Sami school or compulsory special needs school.
Most children start compulsory school in the year they turn seven. There are also cases of children starting slightly earlier or later than this. Compulsory school lasts nine years, with each academic year divided into an autumn and a spring semester.
Compulsory school education is built on democratic principles and recognises the equal value and human rights of all people. All pupils are entitled to education of equivalent quality regardless of gender, beliefs, disabilities, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, age or where they live in Sweden.
In school, all pupils are important, and the school must always keep the best interest of the pupils in mind when planning its activities. Children, pupils and adults shall work together and come to an agreement on common rules for a good working environment.
Everyone gets a place in school
The municipality in which you live is required to provide information on the schools available in the municipality. You can notify the municipality of your preferred choice of school for your child. In addition to municipal schools, there are independent schools, which may have their own rules regarding admission. If you want your child to attend an independent school, contact the school to find out what their rules are.
Here in the Education Guide, you can see which schools are available and compare different schools with each other. You can also read about how to get a place in a school, or you can ask the municipality in which you live.
All schools are free of charge. This means that it does not cost anything to go to school.
Find and compare compulsory schools
Application and admission to compulsory school
Municipal or independent compulsory school?
Schools can have different orientations
Most schools have a general orientation, but there are also schools with a religious orientation and Waldorf schools, where pupils learn according to the Waldorf pedagogical approach. According to the Education Act, independent schools – unlike public schools – can have a denominational orientation, i.e. a religious orientation. The religious orientation of a school's education may mean, for example, that pupils who wish to do so pray together outside the regular classroom teaching. Education in denominational schools must be free of religious elements. Denominational schools with a religious orientation are open to everyone, and the teaching must be on par with that provided to pupils in municipal compulsory schools.
Municipal schools may also have orientations, such as a cultural or sports orientation.
About teaching and the school day
Your child attends school Monday to Friday. Pupils often have several different teachers during the school day. Schools can work with pupils in different ways and choose the learning materials best suited to their teaching. These can include books or digital learning materials.
All schools are regulated by the Education Act and by a curriculum.
There is a course syllabus for each subject. This describes the aim of the teaching and what knowledge and skills your child is expected to develop in the subject.
There is also a timetable, which describes what subjects are included in the programme and how they are distributed between the different years.
Teachers are responsible for the content of the teaching and ensure that your child is able to try out different ways of working. This may involve the teacher reviewing the material with the class, or the pupils working independently. Sometimes pupils and teachers go on study visits to organisations outside the school. Your child will gain both practical and theoretical knowledge during the school day.
Your child will be able to use their own experiences and interests in their learning. They will also learn to think critically, ask questions and learn about different ways of looking at the world. Most of your child's school work is done at school. In many schools, pupils are also given homework to do after school.
Your child will be given a free lunch every day. In many schools, pupils can choose between different meals. Talk to the school if your child has special dietary requirements.
Curriculum and course syllabuses for compulsory school, skolverket.se
Timetable for compulsory school, skolverket.se
Assessment and learning
In class, the teacher talks to the pupils about what they should do to progress in their studies based on an assessment of what they already know. The teacher can provide feedback to guide your child so they progress in their learning. It is important that your child understands their learning and their development needs.
Parent-teacher conferences
A parent-teacher conference is a meeting between your child, the teacher and you (the guardian) to discuss how things are going for your child at school and how they are getting on. From Year 1 onwards, there is a parent-teacher conference at least once every semester. The meeting is intended to provide a picture of your child's knowledge and social development.
During the meeting, you will discuss how the school can support and stimulate your child's development and learning. The meeting gives both you and your child an opportunity to influence and take responsibility for your child's schooling. For example, you can discuss whether your child needs particular adaptations and special support.
Assessments and grades
You and your child will be regularly informed about how they are doing at school. In Years 1–5, your child will receive an assessment in each subject. This is to let you (the guardian) and your child know how they are doing at school. From Year 6 onwards, you child will be given grades once a semester.
When teachers give grades, they assess the knowledge your child has demonstrated that they have acquired. At the end of Year 9, when your child has completed all the subjects included in compulsory education, they will receive the final grades and a school leaving certificate. The school leaving certificate is used to apply to upper secondary school.
The grading scale has six levels: A–F. With passing results, the teacher assigns a grade between A and E. With failing results, the teacher assigns a grade of F.
Adaptations and support
Compulsory education aims both provide knowledge and instil a desire for lifelong learning. Your child is guided and encouraged by their teachers to enable them to achieve the grading criteria. Teaching must be adapted to your child's needs.
Your child is entitled to particular adaptations and special support if they are at risk of not fulfilling the grading or knowledge assessment criteria. This is also the case if they have other difficulties. Examples of particular adaptations and special support include giving your child especially clear instructions and extra training or help to understand texts.
Pupils who fulfil the grading or knowledge assessment criteria more quickly than others should be challenged at their level so that they can develop and learn as much as possible.
Right to help at school, skolverket.se
Special support schools (resursskola)
Work experience programme
The work experience programme (referred to as prao) gives pupils the chance to test out a job at a workplace. All pupils in compulsory school, compulsory special needs school and compulsory school for pupils with intellectual disabilities must do the work experience programme in Year 8 and/or Year 9. This is set out in the Education Act.
In order to make good choices for the future, it is important for your child to learn more about the labour market and gain experience of different professions and industries. The work experience programme gives your child some insight into what skills and abilities are needed in working life.
The school and the workplace work together to ensure that your child's work experience placement is suitable and safe. This may involve, for example, appointing a supervisor to support your child in the workplace and ensuring that the employer follows applicable working hours and occupational health and safety rules. Your child is insured through the school during the work experience period. The school is responsible for ensuring that your child is well prepared for their placement.
Health and well-being
The school works preventively to ensure the well-being of its pupils. The school must have a pupil health team with a school nurse, school doctor, psychologist, counsellor and staff with expertise in special education. Between preschool class and Year 9, your child should be offered a health check-up at least three times. The school nurse can help with simple medical interventions during school hours, but if your child needs other care, you should contact a healthcare provider outside of school.
Bullying and abusive behaviour is not allowed
The school should be safe and offer a peaceful environment for everyone to work and thrive. At school, staff and pupils work actively together to ensure that everyone in the school feels safe and treats each other with respect. Pupils and adults shall work together and come to an agreement on common rules for a good working environment.
No one should be subjected to bullying or abusive behaviour. To ensure this, the school must have procedures and a plan in place to combat this. If someone mistreats your child at school, you should contact the school staff. If this is not enough to stop the problem, you can contact the municipality or the school owner (in the case of an independent school). They are obliged to find out what happened. If they deem it necessary, they must also take action to remedy the situation. If you are still not satisfied, you can contact the Swedish Schools Inspectorate.
No one is allowed to bully you, skolverket.se
Abusive treatment, bullying and discrimination, skolverket.se
Schools must report if a pupil is being harmed
A pupil being harmed may mean, for example, that they are not getting enough care or are being abused at home. It could also mean that they are being abused at school. If anyone working at the school suspects that a child is being abused, the school is obligated to report this to Social Services.
Social Services is responsible for ensuring that all children and young people in the municipality have a safe childhood. When Social Services receives a report, they often want to discuss the situation with the school and the guardians to find good solutions together. It may be that Social Services conducts an investigation and concludes that nothing needs to be done. This does not mean that the person who made the report has done anything wrong. All school staff are mandated reporters, which means they are required to report any situation where they suspect a child is being neglected or abused, even if it later turns out that the child is fine and there was nothing to worry about.
Study and vocational guidance
Pupils in compulsory school are entitled to study and vocational guidance. A study and vocational guidance counsellor can provide information about the education system, working life and the labour market. This information will help your child plan for their future. A study and vocational guidance counsellor can help your child with matters such as choosing an upper secondary school. Your child can receive support, information and guidance to help them consider their options and reach a decision.
If your family has a mother tongue other than Swedish
If your child has a mother tongue other than Swedish, they may be entitled to mother tongue tuition and study guidance in their mother tongue or their strongest school language.
Your right to learn your mother tongue in compulsory school
School-age educare
Your child may spend time in school-age educare during the parts of the day when they are not in school and during school holidays.