Compulsory preschool year for six-year-olds to be replaced with extra year in primary school from 2028
Children in Sweden are to start school at six years old from 2028, a year earlier than at present, in an overhaul of the country’s education system that signals a switch from play-based teaching for younger children.
The government has announced plans to replace a compulsory preschool year for six-year-olds known as förskoleklass with an additional year in grundskola (primary school).
The centre-right coalition government, led by the Moderates and backed by the far-right Sweden Democrats, announced the plan before the presentation of the 2025 budget, due on Thursday. The plan dates back to the previous government and is also backed by the left-leaning Social Democrats.
How and whether preschool exists differs from country to country.
For example, here in Germany you go straight from kindergarten to primary school.
Netherlands is the same. But the first two years in primary school aren’t that different from kindergarten. Except no babies and kids need to be potty trained and with a bit more focus on playful education.