Lundsberg boarding school fails to address systemic issues, says expert

A lack of acknowledgment from leadership and parents is perpetuating a culture of degradation and hazing at Lundsberg boarding school, according to Petter Sandgren, a senior lecturer in education at Stockholm University and former board member of the school.

Speaking to public broadcaster SVT, Sandgren—who served on Lundsberg’s board from 2016 to 2019—said incidents of misconduct are met with superficial responses before the school reverts to established patterns. “Much of what happens isn’t even seen as a serious issue,” he told Aktuellt, SVT’s flagship news program.

The school’s elite status and emphasis on fostering “strong, independent leaders” through sports and student self-governance contribute to a normalization of abusive behavior, Sandgren argued. “There’s a ‘boys will be boys’ attitude—it’s just part of the upbringing. Ultimately, it’s supposed to make them tougher.”

Sandgren resigned from the board due to disagreements over the school’s direction, particularly its resistance to professionalizing governance. “I long advocated for the board to operate independently from the school,” he said. “That was the core of our conflict.”