Steering documents

The Swedish school system is a goal-based system with a high degree of local responsibility. The main responsibility for education activities lies with the municipalities and authorities responsible for independent schools. Various steering documents are used to steer activities, that is, school curriculum, course syllabi, etc. that are drawn up at different levels within the school system.

The overall national goals are set out by Swedish Parliament and Government in

• The Education Act
• Curriculum for the Preschool (Lpfö 98)
• Curriculum for the Compulsory School System, the Preschool Class and the Leisure-time Centre (Lpo 94)
• Curriculum for the Non-compulsory School System (Lpf 94)
• Course syllabi for compulsory school etc.
• Program goals for upper secondary school

The National Agency for Education draws up and takes decisions on

• Course syllabi for upper secondary school etc.
• Grading criteria for all types of Swedish school
• General recommendations

The Agency is continually developing and revising syllabi, grading criteria and other steering documents to ensure that they help to improve equivalence and achievement of goals, as well as reflect the needs motivated by developments in society and the workplace and the needs of individuals.

The Agency also follows up how the steering documents are helping, in practice, to increase equivalence and meet the goals. The agency also evaluates the knowledge of responsible authorities or institutions regarding the content and purpose of steering documents.

The main responsibility for preschool activities, child care for school children, schools and adult education lies with the municipalities, whose responsibilities include distributing resources and organizing education such that students are able to achieve the national goals. On the basis of this municipal input and the goals and guidelines set out in the steering documents, individual schools, preschools and leisure-time centres can then choose work methods suited to their activities and local conditions.