Swedish Government Proposes Unified High School Curriculum to Improve Equity and Competency

The Swedish government has announced plans to reform the current gymnasieskola (high school) system, aiming for a more unified and subject-oriented curriculum. The existing system, in place for three decades, offers nearly 700 courses, resulting in fragmentation and inconsistent educational experiences across schools. Education Minister Lotta Edholm and Cultural Minister Parisa Liljestrand emphasize that the system's excessive choices often lead students to select easier subjects to boost grades, hindering their actual knowledge development and complicating assessments for universities and employers.

An investigator has been commissioned to propose a streamlined curriculum that balances necessary core subjects with limited, meaningful choices within programs. Edholm highlighted the need for essential subjects such as mathematics to be adequately covered, ensuring students acquire skills aligned with their academic and career aspirations. Notably, the reform seeks to address disparities that currently make student transfers between schools difficult due to highly variable curricula.

The proposed changes come from criticisms by Tidöpartierna, asserting that the freedom to craft individual educations has backfired, leading to misalignment with program goals—such as social science students having to choose from approximately sixty subjects for program deepening. These complications can leave students underprepared for further studies in fields like engineering due to gaps in subjects like math or physics.

The government plans to replace the existing course-based gymnasieskola model with a more subject-driven system to enhance fairness, equity, and skill acquisition. The investigator's final recommendations are scheduled for submission by December 9, 2027, with details on which subjects might be reduced or eliminated to be determined.

This proposed reform marks a significant shift in Swedish secondary education policy, aiming to provide a more consistent and competency-focused high school experience for all students across the country.