ABSTRACT
In recent years, reforms in the Swedish education system have gained considerable international attention. While Sweden was far behind other countries in restructuring educational services, one can now say that–in many respects–it has taken the lead. While school voucher schemes have been tested in other countries, they have typically existed on a small scale since the education systems are rather decentralized. Only in highly centralized Sweden could a central authority mandate such a nationwide reform. These restructuring reforms in Sweden have also gained attention since they occurred so rapidly and since they marked a clear break with the past.
