The study is made in Nacka, a suburb of the capital of Sweden, Stockholm, and focuses on “the parental school choice" that takes place when children start in first grade at the age of six.  New differences in the number of pupils attending various municipal schools have appeared after reforms in the early 1990s giving parents free choice of elementary school for their children. Some schools are located in areas where most children have a middle class background, while others are placed in less attractive surroundings where the parents have a lower educational status, and are more often immigrants. Parents living in the latter kind of surroundings can now send their children to schools further off, but located in more attractive areas. This leads to some schools get an increasing number of pupils and others gets a decreasing. The income of schools in Sweden is largely based on the number of pupils; the idea behind the reform is that schools with a good educational quality should be rewarded by the system. But other factors also influence the parent’s choice; bad rumors, good reputations, the number of children with immigrant background, the physical surroundings and social atmosphere where the school is located, and maybe also ethnical prejudice. My study concerns the grounds upon which school the parents choose the first school for their children in a part of Nacka municipality. The study is based on staff interviews from a school located in a socio-economically disfavored area as well as interviews and questionnaire surveys with parents having a choice between the nearby school and a school located in a more wealthy area. I found that the parent’s primary criterion when choosing schools is still proximity. When looking at the group that has opted out the most nearby schools however, the reputation of the local school – the spreading of bad rumors – proved to be a major influence. An example from the answers I received is the following: I chose a school based on the number of immigrants in it, my child should have a safe schooling, it’s said that schools with a lot of immigrants have an atmosphere that is much tougher, I’ve heard from others, that the “apartment complex” school is a tougher school to attend. (Interview Lisa, verbal, March 2010) Many parents obviously prefer not to have their children attend a school located in a socio-economic disfavored area with a large low-income and/or immigrant population. They are worried that their children will have trouble even getting the final grade from primary school, which is a precondition to entering the secondary, “gymnasium” level.

A prominent idea in the decentralisation and development literature is that decentralisation leads to deeper and stronger community participation. This thesis seeks to examine this argument by investigating the practice of community participation in the Indonesian decentralisation context, focusing on parental participation through access to and control over school financial resources. Drawing on a case study in Depok city, the practice of parental involvement has been explored by identifying the characteristics and the extent of parents’ participation in school management. School Committees (SCs), as a mechanism of community involvement provided by the decentralised education policy, were also examined in this research to develop an understanding of parental representation in school management. The study found that the characteristics and the extent of parents’ participation in school management have changed and decreased significantly as a result of a new Free School Programme (FSP) introduced by the government in 2009 which freed parents from school operational cost. Prior to FSP, parents actively participated in terms of supplying resources and involvement in school meetings, had some access to financial information, and had limited engagement with school budgeting through representation in SCs. However, the new absence of financial contribution by parents has affected parental participation by transforming it into a weaker form of participation where parents act as mere beneficiaries. The study also revealed that in the Indonesian context, the SCs, as institutional channels for community involvement in education provided by the education decentralisation policy, are not effective in terms of representing and engaging parents in school management. Based on the evidence above, this thesis concluded that in the context of the Indonesian education system, decentralisation has not necessarily enhanced community participation. In this respect, decentralisation is not the only possible answer for achieving a meaningful and empowering parental participation in education. Furthermore, other contextual factors surrounding participation also have to be taken into account. While FSP brings the benefit of allowing students to access education freely, the absence of parental financial contribution has been proved to impact parental participation in a way that is contradictory to one of the purposes of decentralisation policy, which is to engage the community in educational management.

A prominent idea in the decentralisation and development literature is that decentralisation leads to deeper and stronger community participation. This thesis seeks to examine this argument by investigating the practice of community participation in the Indonesian decentralisation context, focusing on parental participation through access to and control over school financial resources. Drawing on a case study in Depok city, the practice of parental involvement has been explored by identifying the characteristics and the extent of parents’ participation in school management. School Committees (SCs), as a mechanism of community involvement provided by the decentralised education policy, were also examined in this research to develop an understanding of parental representation in school management. The study found that the characteristics and the extent of parents’ participation in school management have changed and decreased significantly as a result of a new Free School Programme (FSP) introduced by the government in 2009 which freed parents from school operational cost. Prior to FSP, parents actively participated in terms of supplying resources and involvement in school meetings, had some access to financial information, and had limited engagement with school budgeting through representation in SCs. However, the new absence of financial contribution by parents has affected parental participation by transforming it into a weaker form of participation where parents act as mere beneficiaries. The study also revealed that in the Indonesian context, the SCs, as institutional channels for community involvement in education provided by the education decentralisation policy, are not effective in terms of representing and engaging parents in school management. Based on the evidence above, this thesis concluded that in the context of the Indonesian education system, decentralisation has not necessarily enhanced community participation. In this respect, decentralisation is not the only possible answer for achieving a meaningful and empowering parental participation in education. Furthermore, other contextual factors surrounding participation also have to be taken into account. While FSP brings the benefit of allowing students to access education freely, the absence of parental financial contribution has been proved to impact parental participation in a way that is contradictory to one of the purposes of decentralisation policy, which is to engage the community in educational management.

Vi har i detta examensarbete undersökt vad det finns för teoretiska respektive reella för- och nackdelar med friskolor samt hur de förhåller sig till propositionen Valfrihet i skolan som ligger till grund för reformen. Utifrån sex olika källor har vi kommit fram till att det finns både reella och teoretiska för- och nackdelar. Tydliga fördelar är att lärarlönerna har ökat sedan friskolereformen trädde i kraft, att vinst kan vara en positiv drivkraft samt att det har blivit lättare att matcha elev och skola då utbudet av mer specifika inriktningar har ökat. Tydliga nackdelar är att lärarnas arbetsbörda tycks ha ökat, att betygsinflationen har ökat i och med konkurrensen samt att det tycks vara svårt att utkräva ansvar om utbildningen håller låg kvalitet då det föreligger sociala och monetära hinder vid ett skolbyte. Det visar sig även att propositionens syfte till viss del har infriats i form av ett bredare skolutbud med olika inriktningar och en mer produktiv skola i och med den effektivisering som konkurrensen har inneburit. Det fastslås även att det finns en problematik gällande informationsflödet mellan producent (friskolan) och konsument (behörig elev) som gör att det blir svårt för elever och dess familjer att ta det ansvar över elevens utbildningssituation som propositionen föreslår.
 Frågeställningarna som besvaras är: Vad finns det för teoretiska respektive reella fördelar med friskolor?, Vad finns det för teoretiska respektive reella nackdelar med friskolor? samt Hur förhåller sig för- respektive nackdelar till propositionen som ligger till grund för friskolereformen?
 Viss vidare forskning krävs inom området. Framförallt behövs nya studier som statistiskt belyser skillnader mellan kommunala skolor och friskolor. / In this paper we aim to investigate the advantages and disadvantages with the Swedish free-school system and how reality aligns with the political prequel that paved way for the Swedish free-school reform. Based on six sources we have found that there are both practical and theoretical advantages together with practical and theoretical disadvantages. Some clear advantages are that the pay rate of Swedish teachers has increased since the free-school reform, that the possibility of profit could be a positive driving force for an organization and that the free-school system has led to a increased selection of educational possibilities and has thereby simplified the match between student and school. Clear disadvantages is that the teachers workload has increased, the grade inflation has increased in connection with the competition on the Swedish school market and that it is difficult to assume responsibility if education is of low quality as there are social and monetary barriers if a student wants to switch school. It also turns out that the purpose of the bill has in part been infused in the form of a broader school offering with different orientations and a more productive school with the efficiency enhancement that competition has meant. It is also established that there is a problem regarding the flow of information between the producer (independent school) and the consumer (competent student) which makes it difficult for students and their families to take responsibility for the student's educational situation as proposed by the bill.
 The questions that are answered are: What are the theoretical and practical advantages of the Swedish free-school system?, What are the theoretical and practical disadvantages of the Swedish free- school system? as well as How are the advantages and disadvantages aligning with the political ideas that paved way for the Swedish free-school reform? 
 Some further research is required in the field. Above all, new studies are required that statistically highlight differences between municipal schools and independent schools.

Bakgrunden till studien bygger på önskan om att barn och unga ska få en tobaksfri uppväxt. Tobak orsakar mycket ohälsa i världen och för att minimera den tobaksrelaterade ohälsan är det i ett folkhälsovetenskapligt intresse att arbeta med förebyggande insatser på flera plan. Då barnen är vår framtid så är det extra angeläget att ge dem verktyg för att göra hälsoval som bidrar till en hälsosam livsstil. Att välja bort tobak och att få växa upp i en tobaksfri miljö ger goda förutsättningar för att barn och unga får en ökad hälsa. Syftet med studien var att undersöka gymnasieelevers tobaksvanor samt inställning till policyn Tobaksfri skoltid och tobaksanvändning. Metod som användes för att samla in material var en enkätundersökning som innehöll både öppna och slutna frågor. I enkätundersökningen deltog 216 elever från en gymnasieskola i Skåne som tillhandahåller yrkesprogram. Resultaten gav en indikation på att elevernas tobaksvanor inte skiljer sig nämnvärt från andra studiers resultat. Resultaten visade även att eleverna var medvetna om att det fanns skilda regler för elever och skolpersonal vad gäller tobaksanvändning i relation till skolan. Eleverna efterfrågade tydlighet och regler från de vuxna och resultatet visade att eleverna påverkas av de vuxnas inställning, norm och agerande kring tobaksfrågor men även av hur regler implementeras och efterföljs. Slutsatsen vi kan dra av studien är att eleverna på gymnasiet vill att de vuxna sätter gränser och regler till förmån för deras hälsa. En ökad kunskap om elevernas tobaksvanor och inställning till tobaksfrågorna kan vara till hjälp i det tobakspreventiva arbetet på skolan. / The background to the study is based on the wish that children and adolescents get a tobacco-free growth. Tobacco causes a great deal of illness in the world, and to minimize tobacco-related illness, it is in the public interest to work on preventive action at several levels. As the children are our future, it is important to provide them with tools that contributes to a healthy lifestyle. To not choosing tobacco and growing up in a tobacco-free environment provides good conditions for our children and adolescents to get an increased health. The purpose of the study was to investigate high school student’s tobacco habits and the attitude to the Tobacco-free schoolday policy and the use of tobacco. Method used to collect material was a survey that contained both open and closed questions. In the survey attended 216 students from a senior high school in Skane who provided vocational programs. The results indicated that the students' tobacco habits do not differs from the results of other studies. They also showed that the students were aware of the separate rules for students and school staff. As well as the students, not only being influenced by the adults' attitude, norm and action on tobacco issues, but also how rules are implemented and followed. The conclusion we can draw from the study is that students in senior high school want the adults to set limits and rules in favor of their health. Increased knowledge about students' tobacco habits and attitude to tobacco issues can be helpful in tobacco-preventive work at school.

This study examines young people’s subjective experiences of changing school environments from resource-poor primary schools to resource-rich upper secondary schools in Stockholm. Previous statistics show that resource-poor primary schools located in the most socio-economically vulnerable parts of the city have the lowest grade point average and lower educational quality/standards. Based on young people’s stories (who have had such experience of school environment change), it is the purpose to understand the reason behind their decision to change school environment as well as to analyze their experience of it (with focus on well-being, adaptation and social relationships). The study is qualitative and five semi-structured interviews are conducted. Based on Bourdieu’s theories of capital, symbolic violence, social field and habitus, Collins’ theory of social rituals, and McPherson et. Al’s theory of homophily, the results show that students showing study motivation and high grades are given priority in the field of education, resulting in inequity. Therefore, teachers and school staff have a great deal of influence on peers' school choice. The reasons for the change of school differs between foreign- and Swedish-born. The former group emphasizes integration into the Swedish society, the latter emphasizes the identification with the school’s profile and has greater knowledge of the school system. The adaptation to the new school environment was problematic at first, due to the socio-economical differences between the students. The educational level was also much higher, which shows a deteriorating equivalence in the Swedish school system. In addition, the majority of the students were ethnic Swedes, which reflects the pattern of school segregation in Stockholm. These aspects lead to common feelings of exclusion, showing patterns of homophilic social relationships based on different criteria. Joint activities show that those structural differences can be blurred.

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A MATTER OF NATIONAL CONCERN examines the Kennedy Administration’s contribution to the restoration of public education in Prince Edward County, Virginia, and determines if those actions support the dominant narrative of Kennedy’s overall civil rights record – a historical assessment generally generated from a few acute crises. For five consecutive years (1959-1964), in defiance of federal court orders, the county board of supervisors refused to levy taxes to operate public schools, marking Prince Edward County as the only locale in the nation without free public education. The county leadership organized a segregated private school system for the 1,400 white children, but afforded no formal education for the 1,700 African American students. The Kennedy Administration inherited the Prince Edward County school situation – a crisis that threatened to cripple a generation, and, if replicated, destroy public education. In the Prince Edward County school dilemma, the Kennedy Administration took proactive measures, proved sympathetic to the plight of African Americans, challenged Virginia’s congressional delegation, and appointed federal judges that supported President Kennedy’s civil rights agenda. The Prince Edward County story generally, and the federal government’s actions specifically, have been virtually overlooked by historians. A MATTER OF NATIONAL CONCERN challenges scholars to re-evaluate the Kennedy Administration’s civil rights record by including all of the civil rights events of the Kennedy years, thus developing a thorough, comprehensive assessment. A MATTER OF NATIONAL CONCERN is the product of the study of unpublished archival documents, oral histories, interviews, newspaper reports, and secondary sources. This work was created using Microsoft Word 2003.