A new model of school in Sweden

The experiences that were made from privatizing Swedish schools were:<p>* generally worse results and increased inequality<p>* 5 companies dominate the market, and makes huge profits<p>* Sweden has fallen from 3rd to 19th on the PISA test in reading.<p>* huge quality differences between schools<p>* schools have become a "sorting machine" where motivated parents and pupils choose certain schools and avoid other schools.<p>* The experience from Sweden, and research from OECD shows that more competition in school does not produce better results.

Looks like it's from 2008. I'll be happy to hear from anyone who has a closer experience with the Kunskapsskolan.

It's interesting that no mention was made of the Sweden's extremely poor policies and record with respect to homeschooling. There has been a lot of press the past few years over the Johansson family (child seized for being homeschooled) to the Himmelstrand family (severe fines for homeschooling). Here is a link to an HSLDA collection of other links that specifically address homeschooling in Sweden (<a href="http://www.hslda.org/hs/international/Sweden/" rel="nofollow">http://www.hslda.org/hs/international/Sweden/</a>).

The school system in Sweden is many things (despicable, horrendous, etc etc), but free market it is not. These private schools don't operate on a free market - the government supplies the "customers" (students) under penalty of prison* for the students' parents, for crying out loud.<p>* Or possibly even worse: a student who doesn't go to school is liable to end up in the clutches of the meddling welfare board.