The expansion of “private” schools in England, Sweden and Eastern Germany: a comparative perspective on policy development, regulation, policy goals and ideas

In a diverse range of European countries, there has been an increase in the proportion of pupils attending schools owned by private bodies but funded by the state. In this article we compare the policy development and governance of private government-dependent schools in three countries/regions: England, Sweden, and Berlin/Brandenburg in Eastern Germany. We find that the regulatory frameworks vary and are associated with specific policy goals and ideas, with apparently similar ideas having different meanings. We also find that the growth of private government dependent schools is related to policy goals, differing institutional configurations and political parties.