I mentioned a few posts back that Lydia will be starting junior high next year, and I’ve gotten a few questions about what junior high looks like in Sweden.  As with most things, I’m sure it varies from place to place, but in our little town we have one school for all the kids from kindergarten to ninth grade, when compulsory education ends.  The kids stay in the same class groups from kindergarten through third grade (with the same teacher from grade one to grade three), then the classes get mixed up a bit in fourth grade, when they also get a new teacher.  They keep this arrangement for two years, then sixth grade is the beginning of högstadiet, which is roughly equivalent to American junior high.  At the school here, the sixth graders are in their own building and don’t mix much with the older kids, instead easing more or less gradually into “big kid-ness.”  In seventh grade, they move into the big building, where the arrangement much more closely resembles the American junior high and high school experience.

They have one main teacher–referred to as a “mentor”–but there are a couple of other teachers who take over for some subjects (this has been the case for the past year or two, actually).  Most often they stay in the same classroom, and it’s the teachers who move around, but certain classes, like shop, sewing, music, and gym, have their own venues.

For Lydia, the most important changes she anticipates are being allowed to chew gum and wear a hat in class, and having the option of eating fil (like yogurt, but not) at lunch if the meal on offer doesn’t appeal.  Oh, also, they do get a new mentor, who may or may not remain with them through then end of ninth grade, and a new class group.  Lydia’s new mentor is her current art teacher (apparently she extracted a promise from him early on that she would get to be in his group), which is great, but it does seem that he might not stay with this group for more than one year.  We probably won’t know about that until the end of next school year.  The new class group also looks good, with most of her current nemeses assigned to other classes (I’ve no doubt that there are new arch-enemies on the horizon, but then, there always are …).

All things considered, I’m optimistic about the upcoming school year.  The changes are just enough that she’ll feel like she’s moving up in the world without having to confront a whole new scene just yet.  Another year to grow and mature and build her confidence before being thrown in with the real “big kids” certainly won’t come amiss.