The Ministry of Education and Research is responsible for the Government’s education and research policies. The Ministry works on issues including school performance, conditions for teachers and study financing.
The Ministry’s divisions handle day-to-day work on the Ministry’s various policy issues, with the assistance of the Legal Secretariat. The divisions prepare matters for government decisions. One of their most important tasks is to produce background material to support government bills in their area of responsibility. The divisions also handle contacts with the agencies under the Ministry.
The Ministry has five secretariats that assist the Ministry’s leadership and divisions in matters such as administration, communications, international coordination and legal review.
Division for Schools
The Division for Schools is responsible for issues concerning preschools, leisure-time centres and other educational activities, preschool classes and compulsory schools as well as compulsory school for pupils with learning disabilities, special needs schools and Sami schools.
Division for Upper Secondary and Adult Education
The Division for Upper Secondary and Adult Education is responsible for matters relating to upper secondary schools, upper secondary schools for pupils with learning disabilities and adult education, including post-secondary vocational training and adult skills development programmes that are not offered at higher education institutions. The Division is also responsible for liberal adult education issues.
Division for Higher Education
The Division for Higher Education is responsible for activities at higher education institutions. The Division is also responsible for student finance issues and student welfare issues.
Division for Research Policy
The Division for Research Policy is responsible for general research policy issues and research cooperation in the EU and internationally.
Legal Secretariat
The Legal Secretariat deals with legal issues within the Ministry of Education and Research’s area of responsibility. The main task of the secretariat is to participate in all legislative work.
Division for Policy Analysis and International Affairs
The Secretariat coordinates EU and international issues in the OECD, the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Council of Europe, and other international cooperation forums that concern more than one division. In addition, the Secretariat is responsible for international travel and visits of the ministry leadership and the administrative office of the Swedish National Commission for UNESCO. The office coordinates Sweden’s board responsibilities in UNESCO and other UNESCO issues.
Through its analysis unit, the Secretariat is also responsible for special activities that refer to processing and analysing statistics for the purpose of monitoring developments in the areas of education and research, and for national and international comparisons in the education area.
Coordination and Support Secretariat
The Coordination and Support Secretariat coordinates, develops and provides support to the Ministry’s work on the central government budget, agency management and administrative policy issues. The Secretariat is responsible for the Ministry’s financial administration, including internal budgets, planning and follow-up of activities, procurements and coordination of gender mainstreaming.
Human Resources Secretariat
The Human Resources Secretariat provides the Ministry’s senior officials with support on operative and strategic human resources issues, including labour law, leadership, employeeship, working environment, salary review and skills supply.
