Generous public funding and free opportunities to make a profit.

There are two pieces that make the Swedish independent school system stand out internationally, according to Jonas Vlachos, professor of economics.

The independent school system has had a negative effect on segregation, contributed to a difference in the quality of different schools and reduced the equivalence in how students are graded, according to Vlachos.

Researchers: Municipalities benefit from independent schools

Whether municipal schools are drained of money as independent schools establish themselves has become a hot question in Swedish politics.

Gabriel Heller Sahlgren, PhD in economics and researcher affiliated with the Institute for Business Research, has conducted a study on behalf of the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise.

The results show that for municipalities there is an economic advantage with independent schools.

- A higher proportion of students in independent schools lowers the municipalities' average costs, says Gabriel Heller Sahlgren.

Risk of grade inflation

The success of a for-profit school depends a lot on what choices the management makes for the business, according to Karin Edmark, associate professor of economics.

Savings can affect students, but smart decisions combined with rapid expansion can provide a higher quality of teaching to more people.

According to Karin Edmark, several research studies indicate that there are several advantages to being a student at a free school, at least when it comes to the opportunities to study further in higher education.

At the same time, research shows that there is a higher risk of grade inflation in for-profit independent schools.

- This makes it very difficult to get a clear picture of how the knowledge is actually affected, she says.

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Have independent schools and competition led to better school results?

The studies point in different directions, according to Associate Professor Karin Edmark at the Institute for Social Research at Stockholm University.

Hear her explain in the clip.

Photo: SVT