Preschool class for 6-year olds in Sweden: A bridge between early childhood and compulsory schooling

Description:

Since the 1990s, Sweden has been carrying out reforms to develop a truly integrated education system encompassing early childhood, primary and secondary education. Under one reform, in 1998, six-year-olds were separated from preschool and placed within the compulsory school system in the form of the preschool class. To learn about the reasons for the separation, an interview was arranged with Professor Inge Johansson of the Stockholm Institute of Education. The interview was conducted by Yoshie Kaga of UNESCO Paris who also provided the excerpts in the policy brief.