Divisions and Secretariats
Division for Schools
The Division for Schools is responsible for issues relating to pre-school activities and school-age childcare, pre-school classes and compulsory schools, as well as schools for pupils with learning disabilities, special schools (for pupils with deafness or hearing impairment), Sami schools and independent schools that correspond to compulsory schools and schools for pupils with learning disabilities.
The Division for Schools is responsible for preparatory work and analysis, including economic and statistical analyses and budget work within the division's area of responsibility. In addition, it works with a number of cross-cutting issues, including training and skills development programmes for teachers and school administrators, teaching materials and disability issues. School quality development activities, work on basic values for schools and IT issues are also included in the division's remit.
The division is responsible for the National Agency for Education, the National Agency for Special Needs Education and Schools, and the Sami Education Board. This responsibility includes tasking the agencies with various assignments as well as follow-up and evaluation of agency activities.
The Division for Schools works on bills and ordinances in its area of responsibility, and also deals with school curricula, syllabuses and timetables.
Division for Upper Secondary Education
The Division for Upper Secondary School Education is in charge of issues relating to upper secondary schools, upper secondary schools for pupils with learning disabilities and independent upper secondary schools. The division is in charge of monitoring international trends, preparatory work and analysis, including economic and statistical analyses, and budget work within the division's area of responsibility.
Its tasks include follow-up and evaluation of municipal and independent upper secondary school activities, and it is also responsible for monitoring international issues that affect upper secondary schools, such as developments in the field of vocational education and training. The division also deals with bills and ordinances in its area of responsibility.
The Division for Upper Secondary Education is responsible for the Swedish Schools Inspectorate. This responsibility includes governance, allocation of resources and follow-up of results.
Division for Student Financial Support and Adult Education and Training
The Division for Student Financial Support and Adult Education and Training works on matters concerning financial support and student welfare at different educational levels. It is also responsible for formal and liberal adult education and post-secondary vocational education and training, and skills development programmes for adults that are not offered at higher education institutions. In addition, it monitors issues linked to industrial policy and the labour market, such as training initiatives for the unemployed. International issues concerning student welfare and adult education also fall within the division's remit.
Some of the areas in which the division works are development initiatives for modernising adult education, issues concerning Swedish for immigrants, adult education for people with learning disabilities and the establishment of the new Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education.
The Swedish Board for Study Support, the National Board of Appeal for Student Aid and the Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education are government agencies that belong to the division's area of responsibility.
Division for Higher Education
The Division for Higher Education is responsible for undergraduate programmes, doctoral programmes and research at higher education institutions. As part of efforts to achieve the targets set by the Swedish Riksdag and the Government for the area of higher education, the division is responsible for monitoring the results of higher education institutions.
It is also responsible for matters relating to students in higher education as well as recruitment and access to undergraduate education. The division also deals with issues concerning forms of student influence.
The division's most important task is to produce background material for government bills in this area, particularly ahead of the Budget Bill. Examples of government decisions dealt with by the division include allocation of resources to higher education institutions and to other government agencies under the division, and appointments of vice-chancellors and governing boards.
Government agencies in the division's area of responsibility include the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education, the Swedish Agency for Higher Education Services and state higher education institutions. The division is also responsible for relations between the state and independent foundation universities and independent education providers in higher education.
International higher education issues and gender equality matters also fall within the division's remit.
Division for Research Policy
The Division for Research Policy is responsible for general research policy issues and research cooperation in the EU and internationally.
The Division works on matters of research funding and quality, and on ensuring that the research that is carried out benefits society.
It also works with space policy, issues of research ethics, large research facilities and scientific equipment.
The Division is responsible for the following agencies: the Swedish Research Council, the National Library of Sweden, the Swedish National Space Board, the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat, the Swedish Institute of Space Physics, the Central Ethical Review Board and the six Regional Ethical Review Boards. This responsibility includes agency management and allocation of funds to the agencies.
One of the Division's tasks is working on and producing background material for the Government's research and innovation bills.
The Division for Youth Policy and Civil Society
The division is responsible for the coordination and development of youth policy issues, including the cross-sectoral youth policy objectives and follow-up of youth policy. The division is also responsible for the conditions and development of youth organisations, youth research and statistics on young people's living conditions. Regarding the policy for civil society, the division is responsible for issues relating to the conditions for civil society and follow-up of the policy for civil society, coordination of government grants to civil society organisations and grants to public meeting places. It is also responsible for international cooperation on youth policy issues and issues concerning civil society.
The Division for Youth Policy and Civil Society is responsible for the Swedish National Board for Youth Affairs.
Division for Gender Equality
The Division for Gender Equality is responsible for coordination and development of gender equality policy issues, including gender mainstreaming and other methods development to implement the Government's gender equality policy. The division checks to ensure that gender equality is central to all policy areas and coordinates measures within the framework of the Government's gender equality initiative. The division has overall responsibility for the coordination of issues relating to men's violence against women, violence and oppression in the name of honour, and violence in same-sex relations.
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, including proposals referred to the Council on Legislation and government bills. The secretariat provides the leadership and divisions of the Ministry with advice on various legal matters and assists in the drafting of contracts and other agreements of a legal nature. It participates in international negotiations in which legal considerations are involved. General quality assurance issues also come under the responsibility of the secretariat.
Registrar's office
The Registrar's Office is part of the Legal Secretariat and handles all incoming mail addressed to the Ministry of Education and Research. Letters, faxes and electronic mail are registered and then distributed to the relevant division or secretariat to be attended to. The Registrar's Office archives the Ministry's documents. The Senior Registry Clerk provides help with telephone enquiries and receives visitors who want access to official documents.
Secretariat for International Affairs
The Secretariat for International Affairs coordinates and, together with the Ministry's other divisions, prepares matters in the area of education and culture relating to the EU, the Nordic Council of Ministers, the OECD, UNESCO, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the Council of Europe, Baltic Sea cooperation, the Baltic 21 network and cooperation with countries outside the EU.
The secretariat coordinates, provides information about and monitors the Ministry's representation on international boards, committees and working groups, international cooperation activities related to education and culture, and international high-level visits.
It is responsible for the International Programme Office for Education and Training and the Swedish National Commission for UNESCO.
Coordination Secretariat
The secretariat coordinates operational planning, auditing and internal auditing at the Ministry of Education and Research. It also deals with human resources issues, such as personnel administration, skills development and strategic skills provision. Financial administration and coordination of committees are also among the secretariat's tasks, as are the Ministry's work on operations development and IT support.
The secretariat coordinates the Ministry's budget work, appropriation directions and results-based management of government agencies. The analysis unit provides the political leadership and divisions with relevant statistics, analysis data and research results. The secretariat is also responsible for internal and external communications at the Ministry of Education and Research.
