Stockholm school trials classroom split as new support system rolls out

A primary school in Stockholm is dividing students into smaller groups for targeted instruction, a move some pupils describe as a reward but critics warn could deepen inequality, Swedish public broadcaster SVT reports.

At Johan Skytteskolan, fifth-grade students now leave the main classroom for a separate space called Studion during certain lessons. The smaller setting, staffed by a dedicated teacher, is designed for pupils needing extra support in specific subjects. Teacher Louise Uggla noted mixed reactions: “Some thrive and would happily spend more time there, while others resist it.”

Eleven-year-old Pavle initially questioned why he was selected. “The first two times, I thought: Am I that disruptive in class?” he told SVT’s documentary series Svenska smärtpunkter. “Then I realised—it’s actually a reward.”

The trial aligns with nationwide reforms set to take effect in 2028, after parliament approved changes to the Education Act allowing more students to receive instruction outside regular classrooms. All major political parties support expanding such measures, which last year already applied to over 17,000 primary school pupils in “special teaching groups,” according to the Swedish National Agency for Education.

But advocacy group Riksförbundet Attention, which represents neurodivergent individuals, cautioned the reforms risk enabling discrimination. At Johan Skytteskolan, plans are underway to expand Studion next year to include students from additional grades. Teacher Karin Rosshagen called the initiative “a good investment for now,” though she expressed concern about long-term funding. “We don’t have endless resources in schools,” she said.

Under current rules, Swedish schools provide support through three tiers: extra adjustments (minor classroom accommodations), special support (formalised interventions requiring a principal’s approval), and special teaching groups—the most intensive option, which must still keep pupils within their original class cohort.