Passing on the Education Baton
The UK has overtaken Sweden in the scale of its education reforms
19 August 2014
The British typically look at Sweden as a social democratic paradise, proof that the state can drive both equality and economic growth. Yet David Cameron’s Conservative Party saw a radically different picture while in opposition. They saw a modern conservative nation breaking away from the shackles of the state — and a potential election-winning formula. Sweden has also been the blueprint for the Conservative’s education policy. But it is the UK Coalition government which has taken reform the furthest.
Insight
Sweden’s New Moderates were proof to the Tories that a conservative party could win elections in a predominantly social democratic environment. In 2008 then opposition leader David Cameron used a well-publicised visit to Sweden to hone the message of a modernising conservative party which freed people from bureaucracy and offered choice in public services.
The Conservatives also saw parallels in Sweden’s education story. In the 1960s Sweden introduced a radical comprehensive system which involved mixed-ability teaching, merging academic and vocational provision and taking emphasis away from testing and grading. By the 1990s the system was plagued by poor results and bad behaviour.
In 1991 a newly-elected conservative government introduced reforms to the Swedish education system. Teacher pay and conditions were deregulated, school finance decentralised and individual schools were given greater freedom on the curriculum, targeting and testing. The government’s most revolutionary reform however was the introduction of a voucher system, which enabled parents to send their children to a school of their choice, be it public or private.
Despite claims by UK conservatives, these reforms have not dramatically changed the Swedish education environment. Some 10 percent of students now use vouchers to attend private schools. Nor has it reversed the malaise in the system. In recent years Sweden has actually plummeted in the PISA ratings, from 16th place for maths in 2000 to 38th in 2012. Whether this is a result of the voucher system is hotly contested. Free schools are unevenly distributed and data is not collected nationally, making assessment of the reforms challenging. Various studies show negligible improvements for free schools compared with comprehensives. However, these gains appear to be at the cost of equality, as free schools are largely located in more privileged areas and attended by children from well-educated backgrounds.
This debate has not perturbed British conservatives who have taken Sweden’s reforms even further. While Swedish legislation has allowed the creation of new schools that are outside of the comprehensive system the government has not actually challenged the status of current comprehensives. Therefore free schools are considered by Swedes as a kind of adjunct to the dominant comprehensive system, much like the continued existence of grammar schools in the UK.
In contrast, the UK government has used the academies programme as a way of challenging the comprehensive hegemony. In May 2010 when introducing the Academies Act the then Education Secretary Michael Gove stated he wanted academies to become ‘the norm’ in education. Since then the number of academies has risen from 204 to 3,613, educating some 18 percent of the student population. 75 percent of all academies are ‘converters’, namely schools which were formally comprehensives. New startup academies, known as sponsored academies, and free schools make up approximately 20 percent and 5 percent of academies, respectively.
Concluding Thoughts
Mr Gove’s reforms have been far more controversial in the UK because of the way they have challenged the comprehensive system. Indeed, his reforms have not been as market-orientated as many free-market conservatives would wish. The UK does not allow profit-making organisations to establish schools, whereas Sweden does. Moreover, the government limits market forces by having curriculum restrictions in english, maths, science and ICT. Pupil selection by ability is another key battleground which both Swedish and British conservatives have not had the stomach for. Nonetheless, the reforms seem set to stay. Swedish voters certainly do not support a reversal of the changes, and it seems British parents will not either.
Contact: godwinadvisory@gmail.com
Further reading: Labour’s Education Tightrope
