The compilations of grades and student composition, such as the National Agency for Education and Sweden's municipalities and regions (SKR) previously published, and which have helped parents to compare different schools, will be impossible or at least very difficult to continue.

The reason is a policy change announced by Statistics Sweden earlier this autumn, with reference to the confidentiality legislation. Information collected in the framework of Statistics Sweden's statistical activities is covered by very strong confidentiality, and may only be disclosed if there is no risk of injury or but to an individual.

- We find it very difficult to see that the rules can be interpreted differently based on the type of business you run, whether it is a private school or a private car repair shop. In economic statistics, one would never reveal the names and key figures of any company at all. We have had a different application in the school field for a long time without really wondering why, says Joachim Angermund, chief lawyer at Statistics Sweden.

The decision was appealed - but the House of Commons gives SCB the right

Because information about the grade point score at a school, how many students go out, and how it relates to student composition at school, can affect whether parents choose to place their children there - and thus how much money the company earns - it can cause harm to the freelance companies about Statistics Sweden release the information. Therefore, Statistics Sweden considers that the confidentiality legislation does not allow the disclosure.

In line with this, Statistics Sweden refused to disclose data on free schools in 73 Swedish municipalities at the elementary school level and 45 municipalities at the upper secondary level, to SKR, the State municipalities and regions, which have long compiled the data and made them comparable. The decision was appealed, but the District Court of Gothenburg gave Statistics Sweden the right.

Statistics Sweden hopes the law will change: "Agree that this is important information"

Joachim Angermund, chief legal officer at Statistics Sweden, says he hopes that the legislators will revise the law so that the data is collected outside Statistics Sweden's statistical activities.

- We hope, of course, that the legislature will make it a cohesive school register and not a statistical register - I of course agree that this is important information.

For several years, legislation has been proposed that would allow publicly funded free schools to be covered by the principle of publicity under the same conditions as municipal schools. Such legislation would, according to Joachim Angermund, change Statistics Sweden's consideration, if it were designed correctly.

- If it is designed so that independent schools can also be compared with municipal schools from a privacy perspective, it would affect the assessment. And I assume that this is how you would do, says Joachim Angermund.

Statistics Sweden will make certain exceptions to the regulations for researchers.