How schooling is organised
Sweden has a national curriculum administered by Skolverket but a highly decentralised delivery model: municipalities run most schools, and independent friskolor funded by the same per-student voucher operate alongside them. Compulsory grundskola runs for ten years, followed by gymnasium, which offers both higher-education preparatory and vocational programmes.
Grading uses the A–F scale introduced in 2011, with explicit kunskapskrav (knowledge requirements) published for grades E, C and A in every subject. National tests (nationella prov) are administered at set points to support teacher grading rather than to determine it outright.
What the agency publishes
Skolverket publishes the full curriculum (Läroplan), subject syllabuses and the knowledge requirements for each grade, plus released national test material and assessment support. Because Swedish grading is criterion-based, the knowledge requirements function as a precise statement of what separates a C from an A — genuinely useful to students, not just teachers.
Utbildningsradion (UR), the public educational broadcaster, is the standout non-ministry source: decades of programmes, series and teacher material, organised by subject and level and free to stream. Most material is in Swedish; Skolverket publishes curriculum translations in English and several other languages.
Getting the most out of it
Read the kunskapskrav for the grade you are aiming at and treat it as a checklist. Swedish teachers grade against those sentences, and the vocabulary they use in feedback comes directly from them.
UR is worth browsing rather than searching — its catalogue is broad enough that the useful series for a given topic are often ones you would not have thought to look for.
Resource listings
Assessment
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National Assessment System
Mandatory national tests for years 3, 6, and 9 to assess student progress and school quality
National Assessment3, 6, 9SwedishEnglishMathematicsCurriculum-aligned
Curriculum
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Curriculum for Compulsory School (Lgr22)
National curriculum for compulsory education covering preschool class and years 1-9 implemented in 2022
National CurriculumYears 0–9SwedishEnglishMathematicsBiologyCurriculum-aligned
Early Childhood
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Curriculum for Preschool (Lpfö 18)
National curriculum for preschool education covering children aged 1-5 years, revised in 2019
Early Years Framework0Language and CommunicationMathematicsScience and TechnologyAesthetics and CreativityCurriculum-aligned
Educational Authority
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National Agency for Education (Skolverket)
National authority providing educational information, administering funding, and developing curricula and assessment guidelines
National AgencyYears 0–12Curriculum-aligned
Educational Reform
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Subject Grades Reform 2025
Educational reform replacing course grades with subject grades in upper secondary education from July 2025
Assessment ReformYears 10–12All Upper Secondary SubjectsCurriculum-aligned
General
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Ministry of Education and Research
Swedish government ministry responsible for education and research policies, school performance, and teacher conditions
Ministry PortalYears 0–12Curriculum-aligned
Indigenous Education
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Curriculum for Sami Schools (Lgrsam22)
Specialized curriculum for Sami schools preserving Sami language and culture
Indigenous CurriculumYears 1–6Sami LanguageSami CultureTraditional KnowledgeCore SubjectsCurriculum-aligned
Legislation
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Swedish Education Act (Skollagen)
Comprehensive education legislation covering all aspects of the Swedish education system
Education LawYears 0–12Educational LawStudent RightsSchool OrganizationCurriculum-aligned
Quality Assurance
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Swedish Schools Inspectorate (Skolinspektionen)
Independent authority overseeing and examining the quality of schools through regular inspections
Inspection ServiceYears 0–12Curriculum-aligned
School Choice
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Independent Schools (Friskolor) Framework
Regulatory framework for publicly funded independent schools following national curricula
School System FrameworkYears 0–12All National Curriculum SubjectsCurriculum-aligned
Special Education
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National Agency for Special Needs Education and Schools
Specialized agency providing support for children, young people and adults with disabilities
Special Education AuthorityYears 0–12Special Support ServicesAssistive TechnologyCurriculum-aligned
Teacher Development
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Professional Certification for Teachers
Mandatory professional certification system for school and preschool teachers on permanent contracts
Professional StandardsAll levelsTeacher TrainingProfessional DevelopmentCertificationCurriculum-aligned
Upper Secondary
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Curriculum for Upper Secondary School (Gy11)
National curriculum for upper secondary education with 18 national programmes, updated in 2022
Upper Secondary FrameworkYears 10–12Academic SubjectsVocational SubjectsCore SubjectsCurriculum-aligned
All resources listed here are published by government departments, ministries, statutory examination bodies or public broadcasters and were free to access when last checked. OffLearn is not affiliated with any of them. Links open on the publisher's own site. Found a dead link? Tell us and we will fix it.
Other countries
United States
The United States has no national curriculum — standards and materials are set state by state, so the state page is the one that matters.
Canada
Canada has no federal education department at all — each province and territory runs its own curriculum, in English, French or both.
Australia
Australia teaches a single national curriculum that each state and territory adapts, so useful material sits at both the federal and state level.
United Kingdom
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run four genuinely different systems with different curricula and different exams.
New Zealand
New Zealand centralises its curriculum and qualifications nationally, so nearly all official material comes from two agencies.
Ireland
Ireland runs a centralised national curriculum with two high-stakes state examinations and an unusual optional transition year.