Introduction

The Swedish Schools Inspectorate(Skolinspektionen) is responsible for quality controls of preschools, school-age childcare, compulsory schools, upper secondary schools and adult education. The Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket) is the central administrative authority for the Swedish public school system. The agency is to contribute to target fulfillment in the area of education through the follow-up, evaluation and development of schools, preschools, school-age childcare and adult education, and through the development of certain policy documents.

Schools are responsible for following up and evaluating their activities, whilst the municipalities (kommuner) are responsible for following up and evaluating schools in the municipality. In the individual school, the school head is responsible for the way in which the internal self-evaluation is carried out.

For more information on the evaluation processes see 11.1 Quality Assurance in Early Childhood and School Education.

Requirements for appointment

Inspectors

Inspectors working at the Swedish Schools Inspectorate (Skolinspektionen) are recruited mainly among teachers and teacher trainers but can also be practitioners in other fields such as government and local authorities. The recruitment is an open procedure and the Swedish Schools Inspectorate decides which competence the inspectors are required to have. The same applies for the recruitment to positions at the Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket).

School heads

The municipalities or grant-aided education providers are responsible for recruiting and appointing school heads. A precondition to be appointed a position as school head is good pedagogical insight through training and experience. Appointed school heads at compulsory and upper secondary school levels are also obliged to take part in the national school head training programme. The organisers of the progamme receive state funds allocated by the Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket). The national school head training programme is open to persons who, in accordance with the Education Act (Skollagen), serve as school heads either in the public school system or in recognised grant-aided independent schools and who have not attended such a programme earlier.

For more information on the school head training programme see 9.1 Initial Education for Teachers Working in Early Childhood and School Education.

Conditions of service

Inspectors

Those working with inspection or equivalent activities at the Swedish Schools Inspectorate (Skolinspektionen) or at the Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket), work under the same conditions as other state employees. Salaries are individual and differentiated and both agencies apply flexible working hours. Inspectors are entitled to 28-35 days of paid vacation, in addition to national holidays, depending on age. They are also able to recieve continuing professional development.  

School heads

School heads are employed on a permanent contract by the institution, i.e. by a municipality or a grant-aided independent school.

School head's salaries are individual and differentiated and are determined locally. For school heads employed by municipalities, the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (Sveriges kommuner och landsting), negotiates with the school head trade unions over salaries and general working conditions. School heads employed by grant-aided independent schools get their salaries and working conditions set through negotiation by the principal organiser and the trade union. For some school heads in independent schools, the negotiations may take place with the assistance of an employer organisation and the school head trade union.

The avarage salary for school heads in 2015 was SEK 44 200. 

For more information on conditions of service for school heads see 9.2 Conditions of Service for Teachers Working in Early Childhood and School Education and 9.3 Continuing Professional Development for Teachers Working in Early Childhood and School Education. 

For further information regarding the organisation at local level see 2.7 Administration and Governance at Local and/or Institutional Level