Complaint to the School’s Governing Body – Educational Deficiencies, Follow-up & Excel | Word/PDF

Complaint to the school owner – professional document templates in Word, PDF and Excel. For students, parents and guardians, and others who want to document and submit concrete complaints about deficiencies in education to the municipality or an independent school owner. The package includes a complaint letter, factual chronology, request for complaint procedures, supplement, follow-up, as well as two guides and an Excel register.

Important distinction: This is a general complaint under Chapter 4, Sections 7–8 of the Education Act, not an appeal, a special investigation template for abusive treatment, or an authority-approved form. The owner is required to handle complaints, but purchasing or using the template does not entitle you to a predetermined decision or any specific investigative action.

When is the complaint template suitable?

When you want to submit a substantive complaint about education at a Swedish school or preschool. A municipality is the owner of municipal education, while a company, association, or foundation may be the owner of an independent school. First, check the school's own contact channels and the owner's published procedures. When appropriate, it is recommended to speak with the school or principal as a first step.

File list

Excel: nine tabs and eight key figures

The workbook contains Overview, Cases, Schools, Complaints, Incidents, Contacts, Responses, Actions, and Read Me. Eight summaries count registered entries and manually entered statuses. A sent complaint is not the same as confirmed receipt. The owner's response is not the same as a verified action. Excel does not determine whether a legal violation has occurred and does not calculate legal deadlines. The workbook does not contain macros.

Practical workflow

1. Identify the school, municipality, or independent owner and its procedures.
2. Describe concrete circumstances with dates and distinguish facts from assumptions.
3. Document appropriate previous contact with the school and principal.
4. Complete the main complaint and attach only relevant, privacy-reviewed supporting evidence.
5. Send via the correct complaint channel and save actual confirmation of receipt.
6. Follow up on the owner's actual response, any planned actions, and verified results.

Legal requirements

According to Chapter 4, Section 8 of the Education Act (2010:800), the owner must receive and investigate complaints about education, confirm receipt, promptly conduct the necessary investigation, and provide feedback. The owner must have written procedures and actively ensure that they are known. According to Chapter 4, Section 7, the owner must ensure that necessary actions are taken when deficiencies occur. The provisions do not specify a general, always applicable response time in days. Special rules and individual decisions must be handled separately.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I send a complaint about the school?

First, contact the relevant staff or principal when appropriate. If the problem is not resolved, contact the owner that operates the school and use the owner's complaint procedures.

Must the owner respond?

Yes, Chapter 4, Section 8 of the Education Act requires the owner to confirm receipt, conduct the necessary investigation promptly, and provide feedback. However, there is no universal provision specifying an exact number of days for all complaints.

Can I send the same information directly to the Swedish Schools Inspectorate?

The Swedish Schools Inspectorate states that you should normally first contact the school and submit a complaint to the owner. You can then provide information to the Swedish Schools Inspectorate or the Swedish Education Inspectorate. Such a submission does not automatically lead to an individual investigation. Read the authority's current instructions.

Can I use the package for abusive treatment?

Not as a replacement for the special procedure. For abusive treatment, Mallbutiken offers a separate specialist package: Abusive treatment in school and preschool.

Can I remain anonymous?

An anonymous comment can sometimes be submitted, but without contact details, it may be more difficult for the owner to request additional information or provide feedback. Check the owner's procedures and do not provide more personal information than necessary.

Are the PDF files digitally fillable?

The PDF files are searchable and print-friendly. Editing is done in the Word files; interactive PDF forms are not provided.

Is the template in English?

The main documents are in Swedish. The English User Guide explains the Swedish templates and Swedish law without making the documents bilingual or adapting them to foreign law.

Sources and version

Official sources: Education Act (2010:800), Chapter 4, Sections 7–8, The Swedish Schools Inspectorate's guidance on complaints, and The Swedish National Agency for Education's guidance on the owner's supervisory and complaint responsibilities. Document version 1.0. AI-assisted legal source review November 1, 2026. No independent external legal review or authority approval has been performed.