The 19th century saw the rise of mass schooling. School acts were published, increasing number of teachers were trained and hired, and children increasingly attended schools. This development was strongest in Europe and North America, with schooling in the USA, France and Prussia leading the way. While this development with its national and…

In Sweden, compulsory school grades determine admission to upper-secondary school. The article maps grading outcomes in compulsory school for 1990-2017, when three different grading scales were used, in terms of students' distribution across grading steps. Statistics of grades for all Swedish grade 9 students (all school subjects) are used.…

The article aims to depict the political framing of three grading reforms in Swedish compulsory school, in terms of the political problem they are supposed to solve and what kind of attention is given to the lowest performing pupils. Discourse analysis is employed, focusing on statement producers. The empirical material consists of policy…

The aim of this article is, in a chronological perspective, to identify, discuss and problematise concepts for children's 'problems' in compulsory school and the contexts in which they have been categorised and used. To clarify the categorisation in context, the article is based on a previous study on categorisation in Swedish youth education from…

Throughout history educational leaders have looked to other countries and have attempted to learn by borrowing useful examples to implement in their own educational systems. As recent comparative policy research shows, processes of policy lending and borrowing have their own socio-historically defined dynamics. In this paper, the authors approach…

The education of newly arrived students is a debated global policy issue. Less attention has been paid to the sub-group of students with limited experience of schooling, referred to here as 'newly arrived students with limited schooling' (NALS). This article explores Swedish policy frameworks that inform the education of newly arrived students,…

The Nordic Education Model was an important part of the social democratic welfare state for many years in the second half of the 20th century. Since the millennium, transnational agencies have drawn education from the realm of politics into a global market place by advocating strategies such as efficiency, competition, decentralisation, governing…

This article discusses whether and how Art education is gendered, and whether and how the art world is gendered. The history of Art education is briefly described from a gender perspective, as well as some current reports on Art education in Sweden. The article draws on material from a postgraduate study about Art education and gender. Art lessons…

Today, technology education in Sweden is both a high-status and a low-status phenomenon. Positive values such as economic growth, global competitiveness and the sustainability of the welfare state are often coupled with higher engineering education and sometimes even upper secondary education. Negative values, on the other hand, are often…

The article examines the stability and success of ideas within pedagogical discourses. Why do certain ideas attract actors and how does change come about? These general questions are dealt with through considering the example of the swift spread of an interdisciplinary idea, "arbetsområde" (translated to "spheres of work") in…

In recent decades, the concept of social capital has had an enormous impact on the social scientific debate. Despite its vagueness, the concept expresses a distinction that is of significance for the maintenance and depth of democracy. At the same time, the overarching thesis put forward concerning the fundamental role of associations and social…

In 2004, history was introduced by a Parliamentary decision as a new core subject in the Swedish upper secondary school system. This event constituted a major break--history now became a compulsory subject for all upper secondary school students after having been subject to a continually diminishing number of teaching hours ever since 1945. This…

Two separate historical traditions have influenced Swedish literacy: the church and formal schooling. In answer to the challenge of the International Literacy Year 1990, Sweden has formed a national committee to address such issues as future literacy missions, support of international understanding, and stimulation of research. The National Board…

In addition to giving pertinent historical background, this document describes the current educational system in Sweden. Specifically described are reform efforts since World War II; responsibilities of the federal, county and municipal governments; features held in common by schools in the municipalities; organization and curriculum of compulsory…

Volume 2 begins with discussion of Hopkins Grammar School history, Greek language issues, and Justin S. Morrill's legislative career. Miscellaneous topics cover Indian Territory, backward children in public schools, U.S. engineering education, Christian Brothers schools founder St. Jean Baptiste de La Salle, public library development, Delft's…