ABSTRACT
A general belief in education for all and lifelong learning is marked throughout Swedish society. There is also a virtually unchallenged belief in the provision of equal opportunities for all students irrespective of their gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic background. These two currents of belief-the widespread recognition of the importance of education and the belief in an egalitarian approach to the provision of education-are closely aligned with what has become known as the Nordic welfare state (Blomqvist, 2004), and the means chosen to put them into practice has been a unifi ed school system.
