Education in Sweden

We're eager learners!

The Swedish educational system has undergone a continuing series of transformations since the 1950s.

In 1991 a major reform was initiated, aiming at a deregulation of the higher education system, greater autonomy for each institution of higher education and a wider scope of individual choice for students. The reform was adopted by Parliament in 1992 and in 1993 a new Higher Education Act came into effect. In the new system the sizes of different programmes and the allocation of grants between institutions will be influenced by the demands of the students and the achievements of each institution in terms of both quality and quantity. The organisation of study and range of courses on offer, are determined locally. Students have been given increased freedom of choice regarding study courses within the framework of a new internationally valid Degree Ordinance.

Gävle in focus

The educational life in the region consists of a good mix of traditional establishments and modern institutions concentrating on new fields of activity. This is very much true of the university college of Gävle, situated in the very heart of the region.

This institution has focused on i.e. joint projects between students and local trade and industry, a program which has so far turned out very successful on both sides. Among the study programmes adopted here, some are unique in Sweden, such as Surveying and Mapping, Creative Software Engineering and Health, Promotion/Health Education.

Information technology is a further important part of the regional education. A number of small and medium-sized communities have initiated extensive computer-based education already in the primary schools. In fact, the very sophisticated learning techniques using the latest computers makes our region unique in the country.

Advanced programs at university level include Computer Science and Computer Engineering. In Media and Communication students apply their knowledge of sophisticated computer programs to make multimedia presentations.

Information partly based on material distributed by the Swedish Institute