The Malaise in the School System

Magnus Henrekson () and Johan Wennström

Chapter 4 in Dumbing Down, 2022, pp 63-80 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract A significant drop in students’ knowledge and skills is not the only problem facing Sweden’s schools. The chapter discusses the emergence of a systemic malaise that includes grade inflation, increasing gender differences in performance, and declining civic mindedness. Moreover, the work environment is marred by rising levels of bullying, unacceptable levels of rule-breaking, truancy, and a high incidence of mental health problems. The chapter also discusses the deterioration of working conditions for teachers and the flight from the teaching profession. Teachers self-report that their professional status is low in society, teacher-training programs do not attract top-level students, roughly half of the students in those programs drop out, and a substantial share of those who graduate leave the profession after a couple of years. The wholesale introduction of NPM methods has robbed teachers of the professional autonomy that used to be a key element of the profession’s attractiveness.

Keywords: New Public Management; Student wellbeing; Teacher satisfaction; Truancy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-3-030-93429-3_4

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-93429-3_4

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