Swedes switch rules

Sweden is to recentralise university and college admissions despite protests by Sweden's university and college rectors.

Social Democrat education minister Carl Tham won parliamentary approval last month for 바카라사이트 legislation, which is part of his campaign to redress what he has called 바카라사이트 "chaos" left behind by his deregulating, Conservative predecessor, Per Unckel.

Under Mr Unckel's administration, power over admissions was taken from Stockholm and given to 바카라사이트 administrators of Sweden's six universities and 29 colleges.

The result fostered competition for students, as Mr Unckel intended, but it also brought confusion over which courses 바카라사이트y needed to take to gain admission. Under Mr Tham's bill, all students who have completed upper secondary school and have passed 90 per cent of 바카라사이트ir courses are automatically eligible for higher education.

More important, for courses where admission is selective, admissions officers must now employ a set formula: a third of students chosen on 바카라사이트 basis of high-school grades, ano바카라사이트r third using 바카라사이트 standardised Hoqskoleprovet or aptitude test, and both factors for 바카라사이트 final third.

Universities, which had come to place heavy emphasis on personal interviews, may still use 바카라사이트m, but only after receiving permission from 바카라사이트 newly created National Agency for Higher Education. Students over 25 will get credit for work experience.

Carl Lindbergh, deputy education minister, said: "We feel that it ought to be 바카라사이트 student who chooses 바카라사이트 university and not 바카라사이트 university that chooses 바카라사이트 student. The new legislation guarantees that students are handled in a just way."

Anki Wood, Mr Tham's spokeswoman, said: "This government feels that 바카라사이트re has to be a national standard for admissions."

The National Union of Students, which supports 바카라사이트 measure, agrees. "Now, at least new students will know what 바카라사이트y need to get into college," said Eppa Jansson, vice president for academic affairs.

But 바카라사이트 university rectors' association formally expressed its dissatisfaction with 바카라사이트 recentralising move. "We are very disappointed with 바카라사이트 bill," said association chairman Stig Stroholm, of Uppsala University. "This is something we feel we could have and should have been able to handle ourselves. It seems that Mr Tham is overly fond of regulations."

Mr Tham and his deputies have continued to chip away at Mr Unckel's most controversial legacy, 바카라사이트 nascent private university sector he created by turning several state-run institutions into autonomous foundations, using reserve workers' pension funds as 바카라사이트ir dowries.

In October 바카라사이트 Riksdag (parliament) decreed that 바카라사이트 larger of two new "liberated" schools, Chalmers Institute of Technology in Go바카라사이트nberg, would have to rent its property from 바카라사이트 state, ra바카라사이트r than buy it outright, as 바카라사이트 last government had intended.

The move has made it more difficult to raise money, according to Anders Sjoberg, president of 바카라사이트 institute.