Safeguarding international schools in Sweden: country guide

Chapter 24 of the Education Act (Skollagen, 2010:800) sets the rules for international schools in Sweden. A private international school needs approval from the Swedish Schools Inspectorate (Skolinspektionen).

Inspectors check that the school follows Swedish rules on pupil safety, child rights and governance. That applies even when the school teaches the IB or a British programme.

Chapter 6 of Skollagen also bans degrading treatment of pupils. When staff learn that a pupil feels harmed or bullied by a peer or adult, they must tell the principal. The principal must tell the school operator (huvudman) and investigate at once.

Under Chapter 14 Section 1 of the Social Services Act, schools and their staff have a strict duty to report. They must act at once if they learn or suspect that a child under 18 may be harmed.

This report is called a concern report, or orosanmälan. It goes to the social welfare board (socialnämnden) in the town where the child lives or stays.

You do not need proof before you file a report. Do not run your own inquiry first. Social services handle the inquiry, while the school shares the clear signs it saw.

• Suspected physical, emotional or sexual abuse, or honour-based harm and control.
• Neglect in care, hygiene, food or health, or drug use or severe illness at home.
• A child who sees domestic abuse, which is a crime against the child in Sweden.
• Severe self-harm, crime, drug use or high absence that puts the child at risk.

Yes. In Sweden, the legal duty under Socialtjänstlagen binds each worker by name. A teacher, assistant, counsellor or caretaker cannot pass the duty to the principal or DSL and step back.

In many schools, the DSL or principal co-signs and sends the written report so the school keeps a clear log. That works well if it happens the same day and never stops or slows the worker.

If the DSL or Head chooses not to report, the staff member still has a legal duty to send the report directly to social services. See mandatory reporting laws for international schools to write this into your policy.

If a child is in danger now, call 112. Then tell your DSL and principal the same day, so the school can send an urgent report and work with social services.

Every Swedish town has a social services reception team by day and a duty team (socialjour) at night and on weekends. Keep the numbers for your pupils' towns ready at reception and in the DSL office.

• 112: urgent danger, ambulance, fire or police help.
• 114 14: the Swedish Police for non-urgent reports and advice.
• 116 111: BRIS, free and anonymous 24/7 in Swedish for children, plus an adult advice line on 077-150 50 50.
• Local social services (socialnämnden / socialtjänsten) and out-of-hours socialjour: for concern reports.
• Your DSL and principal: tell them the same day for both welfare reports and Chapter 6 logs.

Groups such as CIS, COBIS, NEASC and the IB ask for a named DSL, regular training and clear steps. Many schools also use England's KCSIE as a guide (see KCSIE for international schools).

Copying KCSIE straight in clashes with Swedish law in two ways. First, reporting is a personal duty on every worker, not just the DSL. Second, Chapter 6 of Skollagen sets a separate duty to report degrading treatment to the school operator.

If you suspect physical or sexual abuse by a family member, do not call parents before sending the report. Social services and the police meet the child at a Barnahus (Children's House) so the child stays safe and does not face pressure at home.

Under Chapter 2 Section 31 of Skollagen, anyone offered a job, training place or contractor role at a school must show a police record extract before starting.

The candidate orders the school extract from the police, often online, and shows the original at school. It stays valid for one year. Note in HR that you saw it, without keeping a copy.

The Swedish extract only covers grave crimes inside Sweden, such as sexual offences and serious violence. Combine it with police checks from past countries and phone reference checks, as shown in safer recruitment for international schools.

The EU GDPR applies directly in Sweden, alongside the Swedish Data Protection Act. The national data regulator is IMY.

Private schools in Sweden have strict rules on privacy under Skollagen. Even so, the duty to report under Socialtjänstlagen lifts that rule and lets you share needed facts with social services.

Swedish law has a strict rule on hiring checks: under Chapter 2 Section 32 of Skollagen, you may only record that an extract was shown. Do not copy or store the extract itself. Keep case logs on strict access and check EEA transfer rules for cloud tools.

This guide shares general facts checked on 10 November 2026, not legal advice. Check your school's rules with a Swedish lawyer, then complete these steps in your first term.

• List the home towns (kommuner) for your pupils and save social services and duty numbers for each.
• Name a Swedish speaker on the team who can call social services for advice and send written reports.
• Put both legal routes in your policy: concern reports (Socialtjänstlagen) and degrading treatment (Skollagen Chapter 6).
• Train every adult that reporting is personal and that they must not warn parents when home abuse is suspected.
• Check your SCR so every staff member showed a valid police extract before starting, with no copies kept on file.
• Show 112, 114 14 and BRIS 116 111 on posters and the pupil portal.