Privatisation of public education? The emergence of independent upper secondary schools in Sweden

Abstract

This article explores the upper secondary (or post‐16) school market. The study on which it is based, funded by the Swedish Research Council, was entitled ‘Upper‐secondary education as a market’. Empirical data include official statistics, policy documents, school publications, company reports and school visits. Printed and other news media were also scrutinised to identify how the marketisation of education is represented in public discourse. A number of themes emerged from the study which included mapping the expansion of the school market, chains of ownership and influence, marketing strategies, choice and the school market and issues raised in the media. These imply that there is a new market discourse which represents a clear break with previous social democratic education policies primarily aimed at enhancing citizenship and wider democratic values within an inclusive public school. However, critiques have also emerged including a call for strengthened regulations of and control over independent schools and concern about an education market equated more with shares and profits rather than pedagogy and student citizenship.

Keywords:

• upper secondary education
• independent schools
• Sweden
• privatisation
• marketisation
• education funding
• profit‐maximisation
• discourse

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to thank Professor Gaby Weiner for enhancing the quality of the article.

Notes

1. The upper secondary school in Sweden (Gymnasieskolan) is non‐compulsory, though aimed principally at all 16‐ to 20‐year‐olds (Ministry of Education 2010a).

2. Since 2006, individual study programmes can also be provided by independent schools (Skolverket 2006).

3. The business idea of a venture company, or an investment company, is to market companies with profits (Isaksson 2006).

4. Public Service Swedish television is non‐commercial and independent of political, commercial and other interests. It is financed by TV charges or ‘licence fees’, paid by the households (Public Service 2011).