Comparison of Education Systems in Sweden and Scotland - Essay Example

?Education Systems in Scotland and Sweden Education has always been a very necessary aspect of a person’s life. It is important for every individual to get equal opportunity towards education. The education system should have proper balance between emphasis on practical knowledge that can be applied in everyday life and knowledge about the world. In every nation education should be made accessible and affordable to all sectors of the society. In many countries the primary students gets over burdened because of the structure of the course. It is important for a child to learn a subject with a purpose and should know the application of the subject in practical life. This will also induce interest in the mind of the child towards the subject. Hence practical learning should be introduced in schools right from primary stage. The structure of education should be prepared in a way to build a child’s character and instill fine ideas in his mind. Education must not be regarded only as source of information but should guide towards development and implementation of skills and character. Education today must not be only memorizing of information but one should learn to apply the facts. The present curriculum should have high moral values as education provides service to the society at large. The education system must be able to provide awareness towards social duties and commitments. The education system in Scotland has a long history of universal accessibility and affordability. There is a marked difference between the education system in Scotland and other parts of the United Kingdom. The Scottish system has given more focus on variety of subjects while the English, Welsh and Northern Irish systems have given more focus on the depth of knowledge from lesser number of subjects in the secondary school level. There is a General Teaching Council that supervises and regulates the standards of teaching capacity of the Scottish teachers (Scotland’s education system, 2012). In this paper the education systems of Scotland and Sweden have been presented in historical, socio-political and cultural contexts and comparisons have been made between the two education systems. Primary education system in Scotland The primary education system in Scotland strives towards “curriculum for excellence”. It includes all the experiences that young children can garner from their education. The purpose is to develop knowledge and skills among the young pupils (What is Curriculum for Excellence? 2012). The curriculum of primary education has a broad spectrum and there is higher spending to maintain the quality of education. The primary education system is also characterized by lack of weekly tests and comparatively smaller number of students in each class. It is a supportive education system where the students can learn the practical applications of all the subjects (Scott, 2009). The age group for attending primary schools range from 5 to 12 after which they attend secondary schools (Scottish Education System, 2003). Environmental studies are a major part of primary education to make the pupils responsible towards the society and environment. It also teaches them to respect the self and others (Hayes, 2010, p.133). The primary education system encourages the young children to work in groups thus developing mutual communication skills. This can help them to use their skills in other classroom activities which will pave the way for improved learning environments provided by the teachers (Christie, 2009, p.154). Historical context The year 1872 has been noted as the beginning of primary education in Scotland. It was in 1920 that the difference between primary and secondary education was accepted in the country. The reason behind the adult education never gaining a prominent position was that “popular views mostly did not distinguish among the liberal humanism of university education…..and the kinds of liberal studies to which the adults might aspire if they had lost out on education as children” (Paterson, 2003, p.9). Throughout the twentieth century there have been three major changes in the education system of Scotland. The first change has been expansion in the elementary level of education. In 1901 census of population it was seen that primary education had almost reached the universal level with over ninety-five percent of children aged between six and twelve were receiving education by attending schools. In the early twentieth century the Scottish parents were reluctant to send their children, who were below the age of six, to schools which resulted in only sixty three percent of that age who attended schools. However, this problem was solved in the 1920s. Since then there has been a consistent growth in nursery provision with ninety seven percent of children aged four attending public sector nursery in 2001 (Paterson, 2003, p.11). The second major change in the nineteenth century was the reduced differentiation in the educational institutions. Primary education was already well into the way of un-differentiation because of the 1872 Act. Under this Act many primary schools which were run by Protestant denominations were absorbed into the public sector. But public schools of secondary education were still run by different religious denominations in 1901. An Act was passed in 1918 which brought all these schools into the public sector and could no longer remain as voluntary schools (Paterson, 2003, p.13). The third major change was differentiation of attention to individual students. In the 1980s it was decided that the curriculum will be same for both boys and girls. The social characters of schools were determined not by the status of teaching but by the social status of students admitted. This differentiation of schools was modified by making sure that selections to high standard academic schools were made on merit basis (Paterson, 2003, pp. 16, 23). Socio-political context The Argyll Commission in the 1860s revealed that literacy rate was high in Scotland as large number of students got admitted in schools. Traditionally education in Scotland has given the nation a distinct identity. The purpose of education in the last twentieth century was for the benefit of the public as well as private gains. The social and economic disparities in the Scottish society did not allow the education system to be purely meritocratic. The universal opportunities of the education system helped in rewarding the “work, discipline and abilities” of both pupils and teachers. Liberal education carries the inherent objective of “education for citizenship”. The curriculum has always been broad and balanced. This makes the Scottish people more liberal and to defy authorities. They grow respect for diversity and equality among all class. They also develop interest on social activities (Munn & Arnott, 2009, pp.438-439). Education emerged in the policy area of the Scottish government in 1999 as way of providing solutions to the nation’s problems. Political control over education intensified and this led to larger reforms. In schools, the salaries of teachers were raised and the promotion structure was reformed. Both teachers and local authorities became involved in policy making processes and admissions in schools became non-selective (Munn & Arnott, 2009, p.442). Cultural context A late nineteenth century critic Patrick Geddes described primary and secondary schools as institutions that prepared the children for examinations but not their practical needs. This criticism was supported by the fact that the schooling system oppressed the inherent interests of the children. Geddes encouraged children to discover things for themselves and he initiated “nature study in primary schools”. In the twentieth century schooling had negative effects on children. They were not encouraged to invoke their creative talents and the education system did not prepare them to meet challenges of lives. The children were “constantly reminded of their inadequacies and failures” which led to cultural deficiency in the society. People did not have the initiative to create new possibilities in life. Today in twenty first century the modern schools in Scotland children are given the opportunities to learn in any forms and their achievements are rewarded (Bryce & Humes, 2003, pp.114-115). Scottish education enhances the thinking process of people and teachers are trained to be inspirational to instill confidence in pupils to make practical use of their own ideas. Primary education in Sweden The education system in Sweden is primarily based on equality which means equal opportunities and access to all individuals, and also equal results. In Sweden it is believed that only if people of both sexes are properly educated irrespective of their castes and place of residence, only then the country can progress towards economic development which will result in the welfare of the nation. In education sector emphasis is given on research and development which makes Swedish education system the world’s most expensive education system (Seltmann, 2009, p.4). All the schools in Sweden are funded by the government. Such schools are open to all the people. All education in schools is free of charge for all students except those from “non-EU/EEA countries” (National system…., 2011). The primary schools are made accessible to children of all social and economic backgrounds. Additional opportunities are given to children with special needs. These children are admitted in ordinary schools but specially trained teachers are responsible for them. There are also special groups of teachers for children who have social and emotional problems (Structures and Policies, 2012). Historical context The social structure of Sweden was agricultural in previous centuries. Almost 70 percent of the Swedish population was engaged in agricultural activities and this condition continued in the first quarter of the twentieth century. From 1935 many industries began to develop and the industrial sector started to take over the agricultural sector. As increased percentage of Swedish population began to join the work force the need for a proper education system arose for qualifications among the workers. Also increased number of foreign immigrants also demanded reforms in the prevailing education system (Ayim-Aboagye, 2010). It was transformed into an industralised society in the nineteenth century. This stage of industralisation resulted in the development of the famous “Swedish model” in the 1920s. This implied a system to improve the general status of the society and was “characterized by centralism, universalism and cooperation between the capital and labour” (Seltmann, 2009, p.4). During this time the education system was also developing to enhance the welfare of the society. Sweden being a centralised state, science played an important role for modernising the society especially during the 1970s. The process of decentralization started in the late 1980s. A comprehensive form of school was implemented in 1962 which was different from schools forms of different organisations. This form of school was criticized for inefficiency. In 1940 the entire education system in Sweden came under investigation and was decided that two schools forms would be merged together. The result of such changes was that the role of state regulations on education system was reduced with municipal bodies becoming responsible for school and social affairs (Seltmann, 2009, pp.4-5). Education in Sweden is still going through many reforms to adapt to the modern times. The Swedish government has the “responsibility in utilizing commissions to study situations in school system and suggest new ways to tackle problems” (Ayim-Aboagye, 2010). This has been possible through cooperation of the researchers who report their findings from their investigations to the government. Also such research policies can introduce newer policies for better reform of the educational sector (Ayim-Aboagye, 2010). Socio political context Education has always played a very important role in the development of the Swedish society. The Swedish society is regarded as a well-educated society with a high percentage of its population attaining schools. An appropriate standard of education is maintained by the educational system for the entire population. A proper framework has been developed by the Swedish legislation for this purpose (Kyrklund, 2009, p.12). Since Sweden has a large number of foreign immigrants many children are brought up in multilingual families. For their proper development it is necessary for primary schools to make them competent in different languages (Kyrklund, 2009, p.14). The social differences in regard to income level and education can affect the school results. In general cases it has been seen that children from municipality schools face many difficulties. Moreover, such primary factors like size of class, number of teachers can influence the school results. Children need to feel protected within the school premises and this responsibility belongs to the society, policy makers and the teachers. The Swedish society is yet to achieve “school for everyone”. Although there are separate schools based on class and ethnicity, but children still need to struggle to in an environment which is still biased in many ways (Kyrklund, 2009, pp.47-48). There is also the matter of dependency on welfare by those pupils who belong to backward socio-economic class. The policy makers are now focusing on fighting the “otherness” and implementing the sense of “one of us” among these pupils. Many teachers who belong to immigrant families play a significant role in the education system by providing special training to the school staff so that they behave in appropriate manner with the immigrant-origin pupils. (Kyrklund, 2009, p.61) In gender context, in the latter half of the twentieth century Swedish women who were so long denied certain levels of education have now conquered the “realm of professionalization” with proper education (Kyrklund, 2009, p.50). Swedish education system is also focusing on the safety of pupils in schools. It is important that a child must feel safe at school and parents can remain unconcerned when there are at school. But it has been seen that around 10 percent of the pupils face rough treatment in schools which can have long term psychological effects on them. This can hamper their harmonic and balanced growth (Kyrklund, 2009, p.70). It is necessary for policy makers to look into all the above factors while making their decisions because “even new rules that were well-intentioned in their motivation prove sometimes to have a totally different effect in practice, when implemented” (Kyrklund, 2009, p.83). Cultural context The primary and secondary schools in Sweden are supervised by the central government and organised by municipalities and private owners. The overall responsibility of arts and culture falls on the Ministry of Education. (Structures of Education…., 2010, p.9) Primary education which includes nine years of school education is compulsory in the country. The artistic education can be chosen by the pupils for the next three years. The averages grades of primary education which is based on 16 best subjects determine the admission to upper secondary school programs (Hallden, 2008, p.256). As a part of cultural development among children it is also the responsibility of the municipal bodies to organize music and art schools which are not part of the academic schools. Art education of higher levels is integral part of government universities and university colleges. Swedish children are strongly encouraged to participate in art and cultural activities to enhance their inherent creativity and expose them to newer avenues. The Swedish Arts Council with financial aid from government arranges “programmes of regional artists’ consultants” that maintain contact between schools and professional artists to inculcate cultural activities among the pupils. (Sweden: Arts and cultural education, 2011) In Sweden the pre-school children are treated as individuals and their competence level is developed according to their interests, knowledge and skills. One major feature of the Swedish National Curriculum is that “goals are to strive for” rather than “goals to achieve” (Sandberg & Hagser, 2011). Comparisons between Scottish and Swedish educational systems The Scottish primary education system focuses on maintaining the quality of education by including variety of subjects in its curriculum. Also a council of teachers regulates and supervises the standard of education while the Swedish pre-school and primary education system focuses on play and learning. The Swedish children through playful learning in their early childhood can achieve success in their school activities. The Scottish education system has a practical approach making the subjects more useful for everyday life making the subjects more interesting thus inducing more children to focus on their studies while in Sweden the emphasis is more on developing the cultural activities among the children. This broadens the vision of Swedish children and can develop social and communication skills among themselves. Both the educational systems of Scotland and Sweden went through drastic changes in the twentieth century. Education in Scotland reached the universal level with primary education gaining prominence with almost ninety seven person children attending schools. Schools were brought under direct control of the state and education became equally accessible to both boys and girls. In Sweden it was an era of industralisation and education became more labour oriented. The Swedish education system also gained universal standard with immigrants getting equal opportunities with the Swedish population. In both the nations’ government plays an important role in reforming the education system to make their respective society well-educated for economic prosperity. In both the nations education systems play an important role in reducing socio-economic disparities among people of all classes and ethnic backgrounds. Education makes the Scottish people more liberal minded with less tolerance towards any kinds of authorities. Through participation in social activities they grow respect towards people of all classes. Sweden which is a nation of immigrants focuses on spreading education among the immigrants. Swedish education system is more language oriented to facilitate the multilingual immigrant population. Unlike the Scottish schools which provide equal opportunities to all people, the Swedish school though strive towards providing equal opportunities still is in the stage where children from backward classes have to struggle to be in the same league as others. In cultural context the common factor of the two education systems is that in both the nations children are encouraged to cultivate their inherent creative talents and participate in art and cultural activities. This creates a social bond between children of all ethnicities and communication skills are also developed. Despite a common historical background of class differentiation in education system, both Scotland and Sweden today has achieved the status of universal educational system which has resulted in improved economic conditions in both the nations. Conclusion Education systems in any nation all over the world strive towards making the people skilled and educated so that they can promote economic development. In this twenty-first century, universal provisions of educations systems in both Sweden and Scotland has established both the nations as having well-educated and efficient society. 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