“School choice and private schooling: a comparison between Greece and Sweden”
Alexandra Farazouli
Pages 27 – 45
Abstract
Over the past three decades, privatization and school choice have been introduced and embodied in the policies of several education systems across the world. In the cases of Greece and Sweden, private schooling has been steadily increasing its presence over the past few years, although education is provided free of charge. The aim of this article is to examine the phenomenon of school choice and specifically the factors influencing parental choice of private schools in Greece and Sweden. Based on a case study design, twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with education professionals and parents in both countries, revealing factors behind private school choice. Findings indicate that the background of the family along with the schools’ location and the perceived quality of private schools are the main factors leading parents to make a private school choice in both countries.