When would kids start school under the new proposal?

The new proposal would see Swedish grundskola extended by a year, so that children start aged six rather than age seven, as they do currently.

When would this come into force?

The government hasn’t formally proposed this yet – it’s planning to put a bill to parliament in November – but if all goes according to plan, the first group of kids to be affected by the new change would be those turning six in 2028.

Extending the Swedish grundskola – primary up to and including lower secondary school, or ages 7-15 – from nine years to ten years was part of a government-commissioned inquiry as early as 2021 and was also an ambition of the former centre-left government.

Wait… don’t they already start school at six?

Yes, but technically their first year of school is förskoleklass, a compulsory “preschool class” for six-year-olds which is meant to prepare them for their first proper year of school when they turn seven.

Instead of starting preschool class, which is also known as grade 0, or nollan in Swedish schools, they would jump straight into first grade or ettan. Preschool class would be scrapped entirely.

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The final grade would therefore be grade 10, or tian, instead of grade 9, nian as it is currently. So children would be going to school for the same amount of time (ten years), but the first year would be more formal schooling rather than a preparatory class before starting first grade.

What would they be doing in this extra year?

According to Education Minister Johan Pehrson, the new proposal is part of a number of reforms which will, among other things, start teaching children key literacy and numeracy skills earlier.

“There will be an increased focus on learning to count, read and write early,” he said.

Children do already have some elements of reading, writing and counting in förskoleklass, but classes at this age are seen as more of a preparation for starting actual school, rather than a time for children to undertake structured learning.

How does this compare to other countries?

The age at which children start compulsory schooling varies a lot around the world, and can be anywhere from age three to age eight. According to European Commission figures from 2016, children in most European countries start around age six, and this is also the most common age at which to start school worldwide.

In the UK, children start school at four or five, while children in France start at age three, although the first two years of that is preschool.

Children in Sweden already start compulsory schooling aged six and have ten years of compulsory classes, which is roughly the same as similar countries in Europe and elsewhere.