NCJ Number
191097
Journal
Youth Studies Australia Volume: 20 Issue: 2 Dated: June 2001 Pages: 46-51
Editor(s)
Julie McLeod,
Karen Malone
Date Published
June 2001
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This document provides a description of the structure and content of Swedish youth policy.
Abstract
The strengths and weaknesses of Swedish youth policy are discussed. The positives of education included free schooling for pupils in the compulsory nine-year elementary school, high level of knowledge in core school subjects, and increased opportunities for student influence. The negatives were that pupils believed that their actual influence at school was very limited, contacts between schools and the business community were limited, the socially uneven recruitment to higher education, and the difficulty schools had in developing pupils who did not fit into the regular school system. The positives of work were an active labor market policy for young people and reduced long-term unemployment. The negatives are that young people had twice the rate of unemployment as the general rate and the economic situation of young unemployed people had deteriorated. The positives of income were a developed, general national social insurance system. The negatives were that this system was based on earlier work and income, disposable income had decreased dramatically, and polarization between those that were successful and those who could not manage with public support. The positives of housing were that young people had the opportunity to leave home earlier in life than in most other countries, and Sweden has very high standards of housing and space. The negatives were high housing costs and a small amount of new construction. Other policy issues examined were international contacts, leisure time and organized activities, influence, health, crime, and equality between women and men.