Riksidrottsgymnasium
Swedish school specialising in sports
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A riksidrottsgymnasium (RIG; lit. 'national sports' secondary school') is part of the Swedish school system as a gymnasium accepting pupils from the whole country focussing on specific sports. Schools shall organise school, living and sports specialisation for the pupils enrolled..[1] Riksidrottsgymnasium organisers have to be accepted by the national governing body of the sport and the National Agency for Education.[2]
For the pupils, approximately 30 percent of the gymnasieskola credits are spent on the sport.[2] As of 2025, 26 federations have the possibility to organise riksidrottsgymnisia.[3]
History
The first riksidrottsgymnasium started on try in 1972 in Malmö and Järpen.[4] In the beginning, the places were limited, but in 1994 other schools had the possibilities to offer gymnasieskola credits in sports specialisation outside the riksidrottsgymnasium system.[1] The system again changed in 2011 when a parallel system, the nationell idrottsutbildning was introduced for more local intake of pupils.[1]
In 2019, it was highlighted a problem of who shall pay for expensive equipment – as pupils shall not pay for things in school.[5]
In the summer of 2020, the riksidrottsgymnasium for waterskiing and wakeboarding at Brinellgymnasiet in Fagersta was closed after 20 years of education after reports on dispiraties.[6]
Impact
A 2010 study from University of Gothenburg study showed that 75 percent of the pupils reached a national-team level.[7] According to a study from Karlstad University, less than a half of Sweden's international medalists have not gone to a riksidrottsgymansium.[8] However, importance varies in between sports – seven out of nine sailors representing Sweden at the 2020 Summer Olympics had been to riksidrottsgymnasia.[9]