I’ve given you lots of reasons that our publik edyoo-kayshun system stinks.  But I can hear some people wonder okay, let’s say you’re right – what should we do to educate our kids?

Well, what do the Swedes do?  I’ve got the answer, with a hat tip to the Irish.

Turns out the “Swedish system” is to give people money for the purpose of educating children, and letting them do with it what they will – and the government doesn’t get involved.

How does the Swedishsystem work?

Under the policy, which was first introduced in the 1990s, parents are given a sum of money (around the equivalent of £6,000 per pupil) that they can then use to send their child to the school of their choice. They can, if they want to, set up their own schools which are outside the state system but for which parents can use what is effectively a voucher to enrol their children at the school. Since the policy was adopted (it had been languishing in policy wonks’ in-trays for some 20 years before receiving the go-ahead) around 900 new schools have been established – with freedom from government control to run their own affairs.

See, the beauty of a free market system over a government-based system is that with a free market, there’s an incentive to actually provide good service.  You want people to pay you!

Turns out these private schools offer lots of nice benefits:

But despite the restrictions, the Internationella Engelska Skolan in Täby, just north of Stockholm, really is “independent”.

Because it controls its own budget, it has been able to negotiate contracts for everything from books to computers, keeping overall costs down. The private firm behind the school – which controls 11 across Sweden, with three more to come next year – rents the building from a local landlord, allowing it to slash up-front costs.

This has allowed the school to offer extras such as healthy free meals to all pupils (in fact, it spends the equivalent of £3 per child every day).

It has a web-based student information system, allowing parents and pupils to access attendance records, behaviour reports, subject grades and day-to-day memos from the principal.

Despite its geographical constraints, the school also has access to an outdoor swimming pool, a running track, gym and basketball courts.

Behold the power of choice and competition!