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Swedish Free Schools – a failed model

8th November 2013

Swedish Free Schools – a failed model

By Jonathan Clyne in Sweden

In 1995, just after the so called ‘free schools’ were introduced in Sweden, my eldest son started school. We had heard and read much good about Montesorri pedagogy, so when a new school opened nearby that was going to follow Maria Montesorri’s methods, we enrolled him. We had our misgivings. These schools were privately run, but government financed. But we thought we should not be ‘ideologically blinkered’ at the expense of our son.

However all was not well at the school. The head teacher seemed more able to instil the fear of God in her pupils than unleash their potential. A turning point came when the one teacher that all the children loved disappeared without even saying good-bye. She had got into a conflict with the head teacher and been instantly dismissed. A parents/teachers’ meeting was called. The owner turned up. This was one of his four schools. After assuring us that our children were going to the best of all schools, he suggested that, if we did not like it, we leave. 28 out of the 30 pupils at the school did. But never mind, a glossy advertising brochure ensured that the school was soon filled again by anxious parents wishing the best for their little ones.

After that, we stayed clear of free schools for our three children. Until our eldest said he wanted to go to a special sixth-form college, because they taught in English. We checked it out carefully. It had a solid reputation. However, a week before school started, we got a letter saying that the headmistress had retired. The school had been sold to one of the big chains that had come to dominate the free schools. Years of chaos followed until the school had been streamlined into the chain’s ‘concept’.

Of course, eventually the “market” does catch up with some of the worst free schools. A few months ago, one chain went bust. 10 000 pupils were affected. The trustee appointed to deal with the bankruptcy expressed surprise that as much as £100 million was missing in the accounts. The Danish venture capitalists who owned the schools claimed they were not responsible. In the midst of this mess, it was discovered that the CEO had posted a photo of a £70 bottle of red wine on his facebook status with the caption “Because I am worth it…” An ex-government minister was one of the first to comment “Yes!! Enjoy your weekend too!”
So UK, all the best of British luck with your free schools!

‘The Economist’ confirms Jonathan’s fears: “The triennial study by the OECD, a think-tank, measures the reading, maths and science proficiency of 15-year-olds. In the first study, in 2000, Swedish pupils performed a lot better than those in most other countries But even as the country’s schools inspired imitators elsewhere, their results have deteriorated. In 2009 Sweden’s overall score fell below the OECD average. Other rankings show a similar trend.”
From http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21588959-swedish-pupils-have-fallen-behind-their-international-peers-fixing-swedens-schools

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