Eurydice

2026

Academic freedom – responsibility, mandate, and strengthened conditions for the future

Published 11 September 2026

Academic freedom is a fundamental prerequisite for high-quality research and education and a vital component of an open and democratic society. The inquiry was tasked with analysing whether the protection of academic freedom for researchers and teachers needs to be strengthened and with assessing the need for further support regarding issues related to academic freedom.

2026

Inquiry launched into potentially making national vocational education permanent

Published 8 September 2026

There is currently high demand for a workforce with upper-secondary vocational training. Consequently, in 2024, the Government decided to launch a pilot scheme for a new type of education: national vocational education. An investigator has now been commissioned to draw on experiences from the pilot scheme and submit proposals to enable the potential permanent introduction of this educational model.

2026

Increased state funding for school safety by EUR 10 million

Published 3 September 2026

Preschools and schools must be safe environments, free from violence. The Government is now increasing the state grant available for enhancing safety in preschools and schools by an additional EUR 10 million.

2026

Mandatory preschool with language development efforts for children who do not encounter the Swedish language at home

Published September 4, 2026

Nothing is more important than a good start in life. At its best, preschool provides all participating children—regardless of background—with a solid foundation for starting school. Consequently, an investigator is being commissioned to draft legislative proposals to make preschool attendance—incorporating language-development measures—mandatory in certain cases.

This chapter provides a thematic and chronological overview of national reforms and policy developments since 2021.

The introduction of the chapter describes the overall education strategy and the key objectives across the whole education system. It also looks at how the education reform process is organised and who are the main actors in the decision-making process.

The section on ongoing reforms and policy developments groups reforms in the following broad thematic areas that largely correspond to education levels:

Bilateral Agreements

The majority of schools, universities, university colleges and other organisers of education have their own bilateral co-operation agreements with institutions in other countries, and municipalities often have town-twinning programmes.

European, Global and Intercultural Dimension in Curriculum Development

European, Global and Intercultural Dimension in Curriculum Development

Within higher education aims and objectives are set out in the Higher Education Act (Högskolelagen, SFS 1992:1434) and in the annual appropriation direction documents from the government and they are further reflected in the internationalisation policy of the higher education institutions.

European, Global and Intercultural Dimension in Curriculum Development

Single Structure Education

The aims and tasks to be pursued by Swedish schools, including the ones related to internationalisation, are listed in the national curricula and syllabi.

Introduction

The Swedish Council for Higher Education (Universitets- och högskolerådet) manages the European and Nordic mobility and scholarship programmes mentioned below.