About Sami school
In Sami school, your child learns the same things as in compulsory school Years 1–6. They also learn about the norms, values, traditions and cultural heritage of the Sami community and the national minority and indigenous Sami people. Your child will also learn to read, speak and write Sami.
What is Sami school?
Sami school is equivalent to compulsory school Years 1–6, which means that your child will learn the same things as pupils in compulsory school.
Your child will also learn about the norms, values, traditions and cultural heritage of the Sami society and the national minority and indigenous Sami people. This includes learning to read, speak and write Sami so that they can use both Sami and Swedish when communicating with others.
After Year 6, pupils in Sami school move on to Years 7–9 of compulsory school. Integrated Sami studies in Years 7–9 are a natural continuation for pupils who attended Sami school.
Sami school is free of charge. This means that it does not cost anything to go there.
Integrated Sami studies in compulsory school
Sami integration spans all compulsory school years. Instead of attending Sami school, Sami children can choose to attend a compulsory school and receive instruction in Sami culture there, in addition to mother tongue tuition in Sami.
The aim is for your child to strengthen their Sami identity by studying their Sami language and learning about Sami culture and traditional knowledge.
Your child can have integrated Sami studies in Years 7–9 as well. An organiser/accountable authority that has Sami pupils can organise integrated Sami studies if they have contracted this with the Sami Education Board.
Who can attend Sami school, and how do I apply?
Children of Sami people can attend Sami school. Children who are not Sami may also attend Sami school, if there are special reasons for this. Sami schools are located in Gällivare, Jokkmokk, Karesuando, Kiruna and Tärnaby. If you want to apply for your child to attend Sami school, you must submit an application to the Sami Education Board.
Enrolling a child in Sami school, Sami Education Board’s website
What does your child learn in Sami school?
Sami school is governed by the Education Act, regulations and the curriculum.
Sami school has its own curriculum and the Sami language is a subject in Sami school, but the other course syllabuses and grading criteria are the same as for compulsory school. This means that pupils in Sami school acquire the same subject knowledge as pupils in compulsory school.
The teaching in Sami school aims to give your child knowledge of Sami cultural heritage, Sami history and the Sami languages.
In addition to being based on the curriculum and other governing documents, teaching is also based on Sami values.
Sami schools have their own timetable, which describes how the class hours should be distributed between subjects. Pupils attending Sami schools are entitled to at least 800 hours of teaching in Sami in total during primary and lower secondary school.
Curriculum for Sami school, skolverket.se
Grades in Sami school
In Sami school, teachers give grades in the same way as in compulsory school. The same grading scale is also used.
Assessments and grades in compulsory school
If your family has a mother tongue other than Swedish
If you have a mother tongue other than Swedish, you may be entitled to mother tongue tuition from Year 1 of Sami school. If you belong to a national minority, you have a special right to study your mother tongue.
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.
The Sami Education Board is responsible for the Sami schools.
The Sami Education Board is government authority that is organises and is responsible for the five Sami schools in Sweden.