Swedish students show the weakest results ever in reading comprehension and mathematics in the latest Pisa survey. That news hit like a bomb in September, hours before the election. The 15-year-olds had lost 21 points in reading comprehension and 18 points in mathematics since 2022. The historical drop in the Swedish results is greater than the average in the survey.
Behind the numbers is something more than knowledge gaps – the desire to learn is decreasing. According to the Swedish National Agency for Education (2024), fewer students state that they are positive about learning mathematics and NO subjects in 2023 compared to 2019. Only 53 percent of 15-year-olds believe that they can become smarter by making an effort, according to Pisa (2025). At the same time, 78 percent of 15-year-old girls and 51 percent of boys state that they are stressed by schoolwork, according to the Public Health Agency (2021–2022). The students feel the pressure - but fewer and fewer feel the desire.
The school is facing major changes. On 9 November, the Swedish National Agency for Education sends the proposals for new curricula that will apply from the autumn of 2028 for consultation. Here there is an opportunity to let education become a clear part of the school's mission - to go beyond knowledge, also to give the students motivation to seek it.
Education adds another dimension to learning: the ability to see how facts fit together, weigh one source against another, and understand why a question is worth asking. Meaning and motivation are not the opposite of knowledge, but the prerequisite for it to stick. High expectations and clear goals are needed. But those who understand why something matters can see connections and carry that with them through life.
A formative education assumes that the children have a language that gives them the tools to shape and understand their reality and ask critical questions. From that foundation they learn the other subjects – the problems of mathematics, the concepts of science and the context of history.
Intrinsic motivation – learning because you want to understand – was the form of motivation most consistently associated with better academic performance
We come from academia, business and a non-profit organization that, through joint work, meets students and teachers every day. Our worlds meet in the classroom through the Ministry of Narratives' researched school programs and teacher support recognized by the OECD. The research, the language and the reading become something the students get to use, not just read about.
Together with the Ministry of Narratives, the Karolinska Institute and Stockholm University are responsible for the school program "Editor Schwartz's research trip", which for the young students becomes a journey of discovery in the world of natural science, where the children have the opportunity to conquer the scientific language. In the program, students take part in the knowledge and educational culture of the academic world and the opportunities that higher education offers.
Our experience is clear: the children want to learn. When they encounter a task that has a purpose and a recipient, commitment grows. The Ministry of Storytelling's efforts have reached a total of 120,000 students and 10,000 teachers since 2011. In 2026, 18,000 students and 2,000 teachers have taken part in the foundation's school program and teacher competence-enhancing support.
When the motivation for learning is ignited, it is contagious. The student who has written a text that someone actually reads begins to read more. A class that works motivated and focused becomes calmer and the teacher has time to support those who need it - and challenge those who need more of it.
The research points in the same direction. When researchers from McGill University followed high school students in Canada and Sweden for a year, it turned out that intrinsic motivation – learning because you want to understand – was the form of motivation that was most consistently associated with better academic results. Pisa shows a clear connection: students whose teachers allow them to explain, connect and test ideas are more curious and persistent.
A formative education equips both the individual and society. The ability to review and understand makes us less vulnerable to misinformation and influence. It is also the basis for sustainable development and a liberal democracy that rests on people who can think for themselves and listen to others. A country that needs more teachers, writers, doctors and researchers needs students who want to learn.
Students whose teachers allow them to explain, connect and test ideas are more curious and persistent
Therefore, we want to give the next government three conditions for formative education:
1. Support the teachers - long-term. Next to the parents, the teacher is the most decisive person in the students' education and educational journey. The teachers need long-term support and new knowledge in both theory and practice so that teaching can fundamentally change. The next government should invest in competence development and support for teachers in all subjects, with language as the basis and meaning-making teaching as the content.
2. Build bridges between school and society. Educational institutions, cultural life, business and civil society have knowledge and experience that can make education come alive in the classroom. We want the next government to provide long-term conditions for such cooperation.
3. Prioritize schools where the needs are greatest and scale up what works. This is where education makes the biggest difference – for the child and for society.
Sweden has good conditions to reverse the trend. Children are curious and want to learn. A formative education meets them in their desire and willingness to discover the world and life.
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