A school for every child in Sweden

Abstract

Behind the introduction of a public primary school in 1842 was the idea of education for all its children and youth. These discussions were intense among the political parties in Sweden throughout the nineteenth century and reached its culmination in preparation of the comprehensive school reform in 1962. The vision of a school for all, where all children from the society met, has been one of the cornerstones in the social democratic building of an equal and democratic society from the 1960s to the 1980s. But time changes and in the twenty-first century and the new era of globalisation and market-oriented education, the question can be asked: What has become of the vision of a school for all? This chapter is based on review of historical background and empirical research. Swedish analyses from, e.g. PISA and national data, comparing different groups of students, show that the school for all is under threat and cannot deliver an equitable education. In contrast to a test- and inspection-loaded technology, we propose a combination of an informative technology with an interactive communication strategy that could constitute a new vision where school organisations become fundamental parts of the society. Schools would not just be organisations where students acquire knowledge and skills to join the workforce but the very residence for human ideals of democracy and equity.