New Report Shows That Independent Schools Offer Higher Quality Than Public Schools

Published: May 24, 2023

  

Miscellaneous

Only 10 percent of Sweden’s municipal schools operate in a manner that largely meets the quality criteria set by the Swedish Schools Inspectorate. This is evident from a compilation of the Swedish Schools Inspectorate’s audits of school authorities from 2019 to 2022, commissioned by the National Association of Independent Schools.

The report also shows that there is a significant difference between public schools and independent schools. The corresponding figure for independent schools is that more than one in four independent school operators reviewed meet the requirements “to a high degree.”

According to the National Association of Independent Schools, this result may be due to the fact that independent school operators have identified a link between analysis, quality assurance, and demand—which leads to higher enrollment and better financial performance—compared to municipal school administrations.

“We’re constantly working to optimize our shared resources,” says Bijan Fahimi, CEO of Tellusgruppen. “There should be a good relationship between the business units and the support functions we provide at headquarters.”

Regarding the difference in quality between public and independent schools, Bijan Fahimi says:

– In the debate over the past few years, much of the blame for the shortcomings in the Swedish school system has been placed on independent schools. Here, we have clear evidence that we are fulfilling our mission in a more satisfactory manner than the municipal school authorities.

Here you can read the full report from the National Association of Independent Schools

See also the opinion piece by Anders Hultin, chairman of the board of Watma Education, on differences in quality between public schools and independent schools.