Introduction

The Swedish Schools Inspectorate(Skolinspektionen) is responsible for quality controls of preschools, school-age childcare, compulsory schools, upper secondary schools and adult education. The Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket) is the central administrative authority for the Swedish public school system. The agency is to contribute to target fulfillment in the area of education through the follow-up, evaluation and development of schools, preschools, school-age childcare and adult education, and through the development of certain policy documents.

Schools are responsible for following up and evaluating their activities, whilst the municipalities (kommuner) are responsible for following up and evaluating schools in the municipality. In the individual school, the school head is responsible for the way in which the internal self-evaluation is carried out.

For more information on the evaluation processes see 11.1 Quality Assurance in Early Childhood and School Education.

Requirements for appointment

Inspectors

Inspectors working at the Swedish Schools Inspectorate (Skolinspektionen) are recruited mainly among teachers and teacher trainers but can also be practitioners in other fields such as government and local authorities. The recruitment is an open procedure and the Swedish Schools Inspectorate decides which competence the inspectors are required to have. The same applies for the recruitment to positions at the Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket).

School heads

The municipalities or grant-aided education providers are responsible for recruiting and appointing school heads. A precondition to be appointed to a position as school head is good pedagogical insight through training and experience. Appointed school heads at compulsory and upper secondary school levels are also obliged to take part in the national school head training programme. The organisers of the progamme receive state funds allocated by the Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket). The national school head training programme is open to persons who, in accordance with the Education Act (Skollagen), serve as school heads either in the public school system or in recognised grant-aided independent schools and who have not attended such a programme earlier.

For more information on the school head training programme see 9.1 Initial Education for Teachers Working in Early Childhood and School Education.

Conditions of service

Inspectors

Those working with inspection or equivalent activities at the Swedish Schools Inspectorate (Skolinspektionen) or at the Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket), work under the same conditions as other state employees. Salaries are individual and differentiated and both agencies apply flexible working hours, in average 40 hours a week. They are also able to receive continuing professional development.  

The rules for holidays and retirement are the same for school inspectors as for other employees within state sector. The number of holidays depends on your age (from 28 to 35 days per year) and you reach 35 days at the age of 40 years. 

The retirement age depends on the year you were born and the retirement age is going up by each generation. It is possible to choose two years earlier or later retirement which then affects the size of the retirement benefits. The standard retirements age for those retiring in 2024 is 65 years.

School heads

See Conditions of service under 10.1 Management staff for early childhood and school education