Joakim Malmström succeeds Peter Fredriksson, who has held the position of Director General of the Swedish National Agency for Education since the summer of 2017.
During today's press conference, Minister for Education Lotta Edholm (L) addressed the deteriorating PISA results in reading comprehension and mathematics. Something that she believes must be taken seriously.
"The National Agency for Education's new management will have a very clear mandate for change. It is important that we get a Director-General who takes Swedish schools back to basics," said Lotta Edholm during the press conference.
Has worked as a historian
Joakim Malmström has previously been University Director and Head of Administration at Stockholm University, as well as Director and Director of the Swedish Museum of Natural History.
He is currently Sweden's Director of National Heritage Boards. The fact that Joakim Malmström has no background in the school world was something he himself brought up during the press conference.
"Perhaps one or two school debaters have already tweeted about this, and I'm not going to pretend that I know everything about the challenges that teachers, school leaders and students face in their everyday lives. But I know that I'm curious and quick to learn," said Joakim Malmström.
Among other things, the Swedish National Agency for Education develops course and subject syllabi, is responsible for the national tests, issues teacher certification and distributes government grants.