New in Sweden and aged 16–19
Most people aged 16–19 are enrolled in upper secondary school. This level of schooling is voluntary and free of charge. You can contact your municipality to find out what options are available to you. On this page you can read more about what support is available to help you succeed in your upper secondary school studies.
Different options in upper secondary school
Upper secondary school offers both programs to prepare you for further studies and programs to prepare you for a job right after you graduate from upper secondary school. These are called national programs. To be admitted to a national program, you must be qualified, meaning you have the right prior knowledge. If you do not qualify for a national program, you can take preparatory studies at one of the upper secondary school's introductory programs.
Introductory program
Most new arrivals to Sweden who are between the ages of 16 and 19 start with an introductory program. Introductory programs offer individuals who are not qualified for a national program the opportunity to receive an education that will enable them to move forward in their studies or find a job.
Language introduction
One of the introductory programs is language introduction. This is for individuals who have just arrived in Sweden. The program focuses on the Swedish language and the subjects you need to be able to move on to a national program, or to other studies.
Before you start language introduction, the school will perform an assessment to map out your prior knowledge and experience. This includes factors such as how much schooling you have had and what you have learned, your language and subject knowledge, and any professional experience you may have. An interpreter may be involved in this assessment. The school must perform the assessment as quickly as possible.
Assessment of newly arrived pupils' knowledge level in upper secondary school, skolverket.se
Individual study plan
All upper secondary school pupils must have an individual study plan. If you are on an introductory programme, the plan must show what goals you have set for your studies and what the programme will cover. The individual study plan follows you through the entire programme, with the school revising it if necessary. A teacher usually works with you to draw up the plan.
Individual study plan, skolverket.se
Study guidance in your mother tongue
If you need study guidance in your mother tongue to be able to follow the teaching in Swedish at school, you have the right to receive this. Study guidance in your mother tongue means that you receive support in your education in your mother tongue. It is a way of helping you to develop your knowledge of different subjects.
Study guidance in the mother tongue, skolverket.se
Swedish as a second language
If you are in upper secondary school and have a mother tongue other than Swedish, you can study Swedish as a second language instead of Swedish.
Swedish as a second language is Swedish that is taught to pupils who do not speak Swedish as their mother tongue. The subjects Swedish and Swedish as a second language are very similar and provide the same qualification for national programmes in upper secondary school. In Swedish as a second language, there is a greater focus on developing Swedish language skills, such as speaking, listening, reading and writing so you can express yourself in different contexts. The aim of the studies is to help you develop your language skills to think, communicate and learn.
Mother tongue tuition in upper secondary school
If you have a mother tongue other than Swedish, you may be entitled to mother tongue tuition in upper secondary school. This will then be a subject that you will get a grade in.
There are several advantages to studying your mother tongue as a subject. Having good knowledge of your mother tongue makes it easier to learn a new language. The languages can be a support for each other. Language skills are also in demand in working life.
Your right to learn your mother tongue in upper secondary school