text: what is sweden really like? so often i hear britain being compared to sweden from a political point of view.  usually by people with political inclinations.  so on what grounds is britain like sweden?  does sweden have something similar to the nhs?  does sweden have a minimuum wage economy where people that work 40 hours a week find it dificult to make ends meet?  and i always thought that the family unit and family values were very high on the swedish agenda, unlike in britain where family values have disappeared down the drain over the last 10 years or so.  at what age do swedish children start school?  at what age do they leave school?  what is the schooling system like?  do swedish youngsters start their working life with debts they will probably not clear till they reach middle age.  only thing i know of sweden is that booze is very heavily taxed and that they have light treatment to tackle sad.  so anyone that can tell me why sweden is compared to britain as a society would be appreciated :-) kids start school at 6, and have cheap/virtually free childcare before that, if required.  also after school care, in school, with qualified teachers.  they finish lower secondary at 15(ish) after 9th grade, and most continue to upper secondary (gymnasium) for 3 more years.  all schools are free, including tertiary education.  healthcare is virtually free (you pay a small fee per gp visit.) and yes, nationalised. dental care is free until you are 18.    as for family values, well, we love our kids.  i fear you would be disappointed with swedish attitudes to marriage etc, however, most people here simply don't bother getting married, and are perfectly happy that way (i recall one wee girl at preschool being surprised to find out you _could_ get married before you have children). that doesn't mean families aren't important, they are, very much so, but i rather the swedish idea of what a family is tends not to revolve around a religious (or even civil) ceremony.  yes there are people who work 40 hour weeks and have trouble making ends meet, but that's true anywhere.  not everyone is in a position to get a good paying job, either through lack of skill, or unwillingness to move.  most people are doing "ok", and real poverty is pretty uncommon.  from a new zealander's perspective, sweden is like nz in another language.  it's really not much like britain, culturally or politically (and yes, i have lived in the uk too).   and the light treatment stuff is probably overdone in the foreign press.  as are the alcohol taxes :)  also, the pop music is better here.