Sweden vs Jordan
Side-by-side comparison of how these places approach childhood.
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.
Jordan
One in five students in Jordanian public schools is a Syrian refugee child.
Jordan hosts 660,000 Syrian refugees, and its schools have absorbed their children through a double-shift system.
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.
Jordan
Jordan's 10-2 compulsory system has expanded dramatically to absorb Syrian refugee children. Many schools operate double shifts — Jordanian children in the morning, Syrian children in the afternoon. Education is free through secondary school.
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