Sweden

Home Schooling Laws in Sweden.

  Home schooling is not very common in Sweden. Mostly people do not know that home schooling is a legal alternative to other forms of education.

There are only about 200 home schooling families in Sweden. Nearly half of them officially home school their children. Some hide from the authorities, some moved or are recorded in other countries.

There are many causes because of which home schooling in Sweden is uncommon. The main reason is for example, Swedish tax system, which makes it hard for families to have enough money for one parent staying at home.

Another thing about Swedish society is that it is very conventional. Few people are willing to step outside the norm and many people criticize of people who will not settle for what they and the rest of the Swedes have, but resist to achieve something better.

Home schooling is legal in Sweden but parents must apply for permission every year. They must apply to the local school board and approve the application if the education is considered equivalent to that of public schools and they let them test their children.

It is, however, not uncommon for politicians to ignore the law and the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and reject home schooling based on prejudice.