All change by degrees in Sweden

Swedish Education Minister Leif Pagrotsky has announced major changes to the country's degree structure after last month's meeting of European education ministers in Bergen, Norway, writes Jon Buscall in Stockholm.

The Government plans to bring Swedish higher education closer into line with the rest of Europe, making courses more attractive to international students and improving standards. Writing in the daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter , Mr Pagrotsky outlined a three-tier structure. "Basic" represents a two-year vocational qualification or a three-year bachelors degree; "Advanced" replaces the one-year masters-equivalent with a two-year advanced vocational qualification or a new two-year masters degree; "Higher" covers licentiate degrees and PhDs.

Each level will have a clearly documented qualification so that employers and educational institutions in Sweden and abroad know what they entail.

The three-tier system is partly intended to make it easier for students to study abroad and develop a broader portfolio of qualifications.

There is yet to be a formal Government announcement of the plans and Mr Pagrotsky's comments have caused unease among students. Sweden's student union, SFS, fears changes to the system will cause confusion.

"Change would be good - if there's a higher quality education for students," Nina Gustavsson, SFS's vice-chairwoman, told Sveriges Radio.

"But we are concerned that (the Government's) plans are unclear and that students will get stuck in the middle in the long run."

The Government has assured students that, in concert with the National Agency for Higher Education, it will reveal details of the changes before the summer vacation in June.