Swedish free school operator to close, leaving hundreds of pupils stranded

JB Education schools are to be sold or closed after private equity group owner pulls plug, raising fears over UK policy

• Richard Orange in Malmo and Richard Adams, education editor
• The Guardian, Friday 31 May 2013 16.54 BST

Britain's adoption of Sweden's "free school" model has been called into question after one of Sweden's largest private sector school operators announced it would shut down, leaving hundreds of students stranded.

JB Education, whose schools educate around 10,000 Swedish pupils, said on Thursday that it would sell 19 of its high schools and close down the remaining four.

The decision, which follows four school closures announced by the company in February, came as the Danish private equity group Axcel, which bought the chain in 2008, decided it could no longer continue to cover the company's losses.

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