How can independent and private schools be made more financially accessible?
In Sweden, there are public (85 per cent market share), independent (13 per cent) and private schools (two per cent). Independent schools are privately owned but financed—in the same way as Sweden’s public schools—by a tax-financed public school voucher (tuition free).
All parents are free to place their child in the school of their choice, and the voucher goes to that school—public or independent. The voucher system promotes competition between schools, which in turn drives quality— as in any well-functioning market. In Sweden, private schools tend to become less financially accessible instead —probably in order to preserve the elitist image.
What can schools do to promote greater social diversity?
In theory, a greater freedom of choice between different types of schools, such as the Swedish system, will promote a greater social diversity. The lack of social diversity in their own neighbourhoods may actually be strengthened by this system, since they are less likely to actively choose a different type of school.
However, a school cannot promote greater social diversity on its own, unless applying separate quotas for different social groups. Research indicates that the lack of social diversity in Sweden is a function of segregated living rather than segregated schools.
How will the classroom change demographically?
An increased freedom of choice between public and independent schools will change the classroom demography since students from different neighbourhoods will mix. This is good, but not always good. Social diversity may increase but pluralism may decrease in a school with a hockey or sports profile.
One predicts that the 30-student classrooms will dissolve into more types of classrooms better adapted to the specific teaching, learning, communications and computer-based activities that are going on.
How are student populations changing?
Young people are always very quick to adapt to new technology. With the present rate of new technology being introduced, student generations will require an increasing pace of introduction of new technology in teaching. We tried recording lectures, provided MPEG files to students and found them listening to and enjoying them on their iPods on the bus. Who would have thought that only five years ago?
Teaching methods can be developed in order to be better in line with future needs. Students will need to find relevant and easily presented information among everything that is available on the Internet. They will need to learn to become more critical of sources, they will need to make many more choices and decisions much faster in the future, and they will have to learn to analyze patterns and trends in a way that is hardly taught in school today.
About Per Ledin
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