HM's statute (1958:399) regarding primary schools (folkskolor), continuation schools (fortsättningsskolor), and other types of schools providing basic education (such as the experimental comprehensive schools, i.e. försöksskolor), also known as the 1958 p

Main implications

There is a reorganisation of the school system through which the schools are separated from the Church. Instead it is organised through regional authorities (County Education Boards, i.e. länsskolnämnder) operating on behalf of the government. In order to synchronise different school forms into a unitary system (i.e. enhetsskolan), preceding the comprehensive school of 1962, there was a stronger emphasis on classes and what was to be taught in each class (relating to the curriculum of 1955). The schools were divided into three levels: lower (grades 1-3), middle (grades 4-6), and upper (grades 7-9). The upper school grades followed one vocational and one academic path; students had quite a lot of freedom of choice from different courses. A strict determination of school age was abolished in June 1958; instead a number of compulsory classes was established by local authorities, which is why there for a number of year was variability among municipalities when it comes to the definition of compulsory schooling. Yet at the same time, all children residing in Sweden were subject to the rules relating to compulsory education. If the children come to school, the police could collect them. Children with special needs (blind, deaf, but also the indigenous population) were granted the right to special schools.