American father who moved to Sweden with his young daughter reveals the staggering disparities in the European school system that ultimately forced his family to return to the US
- Andy Kryza had the opportunity to move with his wife and young daughter
- The family, who had idealized Scandinavia, decided to make the move in 2021
- But he has since candidly exposed that ‘the grass wasn’t necessarily greener’
An American father who moved to Sweden with his wife and young daughter has revealed the staggering disparities in the school systems that ultimately forced the family back to the US.
Andy Kryza of Los Angeles said he “felt like he won the lottery” after being offered the chance to move with his wife and young daughter.
The family had idealized Scandinavia, believing that Sweden was “a utopia with happy people, beautiful nature and world-class schools.”
But he has since candidly exposed that ‘the grass wasn’t necessarily greener’ after making the switch in 2021 – only to return two years later.
Andy Kryza, from Los Angeles, said he ‘felt like he won the lottery’ after getting the chance to move with his wife and young daughter
After moving to Gothenburg (seen), where primary schools start at age six, the couple enrolled their daughter in a preschool program where they were told they would “charge the maximum amount allowed.”
In a piece written for InsiderAndy explained how the family paid $1,000 a month for their five-year-old daughter’s education at a private preschool in LA.
After moving to Gothenburg, where primary school started at the age of six, the couple enrolled the youngster in a preschool program, where they were told that “they would be charged the maximum amount allowed.”
But this turned out to be just $100 a month for full-time care – including meals – leaving Andy and his wife ‘delighted’.
His daughter was later enrolled in public school, but he continued to pay the $100 for after-school clubs – which turned out to be their highest outgoing monthly payment.
Andy and his wife both had “stable business incomes,” but for parents on lower incomes, the government offers childcare subsidies, which can eliminate the cost entirely.
But the pace of learning turned out to be a shock.
“We quickly learned that in the early years of school, teachers primarily prioritized socialization and play,” Andy wrote.
‘We were concerned that our daughter would regress and forget the core maths and sciences in which she excelled, but assumed things would improve in the second year. They didn’t do that.’
Andy concluded that Sweden’s benefits ‘come with the expectation that you go along and don’t worry’
Andy mused that the pace was likely due to the teachers’ policy of not letting kids fall behind, as they “paused progress to make sure everyone was on the same page.”
He explained, “Unexpectedly, our daughter started complaining about a lack of challenges.”
Andy mused that the pace was likely due to the teachers’ policy of not letting kids fall behind, as they “paused progress to make sure everyone was on the same page.”
He described it as ‘admirably progressive’, but when he was eight years old he said his daughter ‘couldn’t do simple division’ and once asked us what science was.’
‘When we discussed our concerns with teachers, we were cold: ‘This is how we do it here.’
‘Ultimately we had to decide whether to trust the Swedish system or move back to the US. We chose the latter to prevent her from falling too far behind.’
Andy concluded that Sweden’s benefits “come with the expectation that you go along and don’t worry.”
He added: “We came to the conclusion that the grass was not necessarily greener and that the system we had left behind, while flawed, offered greater opportunities for our family.”