Study Reveals Grading Inequality in Swedish Independent Schools

Grades from compulsory school determine which pupils are accepted into popular upper secondary programs. A new thesis from Uppsala University shows that pupils at for-profit independent schools have, on average, higher grades than would statistically be expected given their backgrounds. The findings suggest that grading is more generous in independent schools and that the differences in grades may give pupils from high-income households a greater advantage in the competition for places at upper secondary school, at the expense of other pupils.