System of government grants to schools abroad is outdated and ineffective

The current system of government grants for Swedish schools abroad was created to facilitate for employers to have staff stationed abroad, for example to embassies, aid organisations and multinational companies.

The Swedish National Audit Office’s audit shows that the system is now outdated and ineffective. Only a small proportion of the guardians belong to the groups for which the system was originally designed. Almost half of the pupils who entitle the school to government grants have guardians who are either employed by the schools or are self-employed.

Nowadays, companies do not send staff abroad in the same way, and access to international schools has increased. For pupils who wish to maintain their Swedish language skills, Swedish language tuition is available at over 100 locations worldwide, funded by the Swedish State. For pupils who require Swedish school grades, distance learning is available from Year 6.

“The original intentions behind the system of government grants for Swedish schools abroad are no longer being met. Both the basic conditions and needs are now significantly different from when the system was introduced,” says Auditor General Christina Gellerbrant Hagberg.

The Swedish National Audit Office’s assessment is that the link between the government grant and the Swedish public interest of Swedish schools abroad has weakened, and that the rules allow too much scope for interpretation for the system to be effective.

The Swedish National Audit Office also notes that the evaluation, quality assurance and supervision of these schools do not function properly. Many schools market themselves as being approved by the National Agency for Education and inspected by the Swedish Schools Inspectorate, but no inspections have been carried out since 2018.

None of the more than 20 reports of irregularities recorded by the Swedish Schools Inspectorate regarding Swedish schools abroad over the past ten years have led to any action. The reports have concerned matters such as bullying and parents having to pay for the special support their children need.

“Part of the problem is that the schools are only required to comply with parts of the Education Act and only to the extent possible. It is a systemic flaw that, as long as it does not conflict with the host country’s legislation, Swedish schools abroad do not have the same obligations as schools in Sweden,” says Sofia Sandgren Massih, project leader for the audit.

“There is reason to review the Government’s commitment to providing government grants to Swedish schools abroad. If the system of Swedish schools abroad is to remain in place, the purpose and regulations need to be clarified,” says Auditor General Christina Gellerbrant Hagberg.