Latvia vs Sweden
Side-by-side comparison of how these places approach childhood.
Latvia
Latvian children weave flower crowns and jump over bonfires during the midsummer Jani festival.
The Jani summer solstice celebration is the most beloved Latvian holiday, where children stay up all night singing folk songs around fires.
Sweden
In Sweden, parents get 480 days of paid leave — 90 reserved exclusively for each parent.
Sweden's parental leave system is the most generous in the world. The 'daddy quota' ensures fathers take at least 90 days — or the family loses them. The result: Swedish fathers spend more time with young children than fathers in almost any other country.
Latvia
Latvia follows a 9-3 system with compulsory education from ages 5 to 16. Latvian is the language of instruction. The system transitioned from Russian and minority-language schools to Latvian-only instruction in 2019, affecting the large Russian-speaking minority.
Sweden
Compulsory school starts at age 6 (förskoleklass) with a play-based transition year. Formal instruction begins at age 7. No grades until year 6. Schools are free and state-funded, though free schools (friskolor) operate with public money.
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