Personal experience: my children are studying in Sweden

The school day at our school begins in the morning

It turns out that in England children go to school in four years, and in the Hungarian kindergarten in the afternoon to give sandwiches with bacon and onionsfound out in its special project devoted to the peculiarities of education in different countries of the world.

Today we go to Sweden where lives the mother of two children Irina Erickson, who told us how the schools and kindergartens in the country.

My older child is in school and youngest goes to kindergarten.

The school year in Sweden starts in the second half of August.

What day the kids go back to school solves the municipality in which they are registered, so that in two neighboring cities, the school year may begin on different days. Ends studies, respectively, at different times, too, but it usually occurs somewhere in the first half of June. School holidays the children five times a year: a week in early November, almost three weeks for Christmas, week holidays in February, Easter in April, and summer from June to August. Kindergarten is open all year round, except weekends and holidays. In kindergarten, children learn to, but the older they get, the later the end the lessons. If the parents are still studying or working, then the child group day care, she works with before, so there child can be before lessons and after school. The garden in our communal work with: to. Very soon we plan to open a night group for children whose mom and dad work in shifts. In our commune place in the kindergarten can only receive child working or studying parents. If mom or dad are on leave to care for a child or not at all, the number of hours a visit to the garden is limited. We is hours, in the communes richer can provide hours, and in Stockholm to hours a week. You can leave a child in the group only for the period of absence at home for work or study. In some municipalities can even call into work to check the schedule of the parent.

For example, in fifth grade, the students learn to

In school children are fed for free hot lunch. If the child attends an after-school program, where he serves Breakfast and afternoon tea. It can be muesli with yogurt, a sandwich or fruit. In the garden there is a private kitchen where children cook Breakfast, snack, lunch and afternoon tea. Kids fed with hot food, fruit, give milk. Don't know how other the communes, but we have in all the food must be sugar-free, it is very strictly monitored. My husband and I are working parents, so our regime is the so-called office time.

Children whose parents work shifts or part-time a week, maybe a different schedule for kindergarten.

We give the child a little earlier.

In the group there is a special tablet where it is necessary to press the button came from, and then the child's name lights up in green. Children are happy doing it yourself, with enthusiasm looking at the list your name and the names of the comrades who have already celebrated. In: the guys Breakfast. After Breakfast, the children are divided into groups: someone remains in the premises and the project, and someone is on the street. Now our children are involved in the project a World in which to live well, and all in the garden is viewed through this prism. A very large part of the time devoted to ecology, for example, children went to the forest and collected the garbage.

But the world in which to live well, it's not just ecology, it is also social relationships: the kids explain what it means to be a good friend how to behave properly in the dining room.

The whole process is photographed and selected photos pour in posted in the hallway of the projector so that parents could see their child and his comrades. In the hands of parents pictures do not give, and the holidays taking pictures is not allowed. All due to the fact that on your photos, for example, posted on the social network, it may be someone else's kid. Then follows lunch. It consists of a main dish, e.g, chicken or fish, a side dish (round potatoes, rice, pasta) and salad (carrot, cabbage, broccoli). After lunch, the children usually don't sleep and go play on the Playground or in the group. If the weather is good, the kids can spend the whole day outside, so the kindergarten teachers in April, can boast a beautiful early sun. Even if the weather is bad weather for a walk the children still go, just for a little while. At school the children are about the same the subjects that I studied in Sweden years ago. The difference, of course, but it does not matter.

For example, according to the math curriculum a little easier, but the English is very serious, so that by fifth grade, my son speaks and understands English.

Children work in groups, doing group presentations. There are independent research, and solving problems. Assessments in fifth graders no, they will only appear in the class after a very large number of national exams in three core subjects: Swedish, English, and mathematics. Total score teacher displays on the basis of work in class and grades for the exam. Parents are constantly in touch with teachers, the school also asks for the phones of grandparents in case, if a parent suddenly cannot get in touch. In many institutions, each child has a so-called crisis folder, which contains all necessary information: contact persons, allergies (all of a sudden have to use drugs) and other important information.

This year the children decided to earn money to go on a trip the whole class.

We baked cupcakes on sale and organized a disco. All this was done, of course, children, but the parents involved as possible, and strongly supported the boys. In Sweden, teachers are required by law to respect the children: for example, they never announce the assessment to the whole class, not doing any meetings in public with analysis of a crisis situation.

All this here is happening only on an individual basis and even the learning process to adapt to the needs of each child.

The educational system in Sweden is very flexible: if you don't have time to learn something now, then there is always the opportunity to do it then. It's just a matter of priorities. And how cool that in any situation I can approach the teacher with your question and he will definitely find time for me to answer it.