Abstract

Title:                       Grades at Primary School – A study of local politicians' arguments in                       connection with the division into grades at Swedish primary schools.

Author:                       Annie Linder

University of Kalmar

C-essay in Social Studies

Autumn 2011

The study aims to investigate local politicians' decisions since municipalities took over

Swedish primary education in 1990/91. The arguments put forward in support of how stages are organised have been studied, likewise whether municipalities have acted rationally when making their decisions.

Six municipalities are included in the survey. They were divided into three educational categories: lower, middle and high level schools; previous and recent schools and F9 schools with pre-schools and primary schools integrated.

Minutes from politicians' and civil servants' meetings have been studied and categorised according to arguments for and against. The most common supportive arguments are about economy and organisation, others concern school premises, trends and the wish for a comprehensive compulsory school. The arguments against are few. Those most often put forward are about about the difficulties of organising B-language tuition for grade six pupils.

The Rational Actor Model has been used to study whether municipalities have acted rationally when making their decisions. A third of the six municipalities have acted rationally.

Key words: municipality, primary school, grade, stage, rationality.