Education is compulsory to age 16. The school year comprises two terms divided by a long Christmas holiday. Home schooling is very rare in Sweden. Most schools are either municipal schools or free schools but there are a few private schools.
Until they are 15, Swedish pupils have little choice over their curriculum. After that they engage in the ‘Swedish School Plan’ which intends to formulate an individual study plan for each student.
Higher Education is still free of charge for Swedish students. They can choose from a wide range of academic or vocational degrees. There are three levels of education at university level: basic, advanced and doctoral (which are roughly equivalent to the English bachelor’s, master’s and PhD). To be admitted to university, students have to be proficient and pass exams in both Swedish and English language.
