Canada and Europe have plenty to discuss these days. Trade, defence, energy security and, tucked away among the diplomatic priorities, education.
At the EU–Canada summit in Montreal in October 2026, leaders announced plans to expand Canada’s participation in Erasmus+, the European programme that helps students, teachers and education institutions learn and work across borders.
It’s a development worth following, particularly for Canadian schools. Across Europe, Erasmus+ already supports teachers undertaking professional development courses, observing colleagues in other schools and developing international partnerships.
Canada currently participates in selected parts of the programme, mainly in higher education. Access to the familiar KA1 school staff mobility arrangements remains restricted to eligible European and associated countries. The latest announcement opens negotiations, with the scope and funding arrangements still to be agreed.
For Canadian educators who have spent years looking across the Atlantic for ideas, the prospect is certainly appealing.
Two education systems, a few shared preoccupations
Canada and the Nordic countries make interesting educational counterparts. Both have vast natural landscapes, strong public institutions and populations that have learnt to make the most of winter. Canadians might even find the Swedish enthusiasm for friluftsliv, or open-air life, reassuringly familiar.
Their schools are also wrestling with many of the same issues. Falling literacy outcomes, student wellbeing, teacher workload and the rapid arrival of artificial intelligence have kept education firmly on the political agenda.
There are some particularly interesting areas for exchange:
Outdoor learning. Nordic traditions of learning outside sit comfortably alongside Canada’s forest schools and land-based education. The approaches have different histories, but both offer useful perspectives on curriculum, local environments and learning beyond four walls. Our Outdoor Learning courses explore how Nordic principles can be adapted to different educational settings.
Student independence. Swedish schools have long placed considerable emphasis on student participation and responsibility. Canadian educators bring their own experience with inquiry-based learning and student voice. Comparing how these ideas play out in ordinary classrooms could make for some lively conversations.
Culture and place. Indigenous education in Canada and Sámi education in the Nordic region offer important perspectives on the relationship between schools, language and local knowledge. Their histories and traditions are distinct, and any exchange would need to recognise that.
Of course, Canada is hardly short of educational expertise. Provinces such as Ontario and British Columbia have attracted international attention for their approaches to curriculum, assessment and student learning. Nordic educators would have plenty to gain from a closer relationship, too.
What happens when teachers travel?
Anyone who has spent time working in schools abroad knows how quickly the familiar can become unfamiliar.
A timetable that seems perfectly sensible in Toronto might raise eyebrows in Stockholm. A classroom routine that Swedish teachers take for granted could be entirely new to a visiting Canadian colleague.
Even the conversations over lunch can be revealing. How much homework is reasonable? When should children begin using digital devices? How much freedom should students have to direct their own learning?
These questions have a habit of becoming more interesting when somebody from another country joins the discussion.
There is, admittedly, a risk that international professional development becomes a pleasant week of school visits, good lunches and enthusiastic note-taking. Stockholm has no shortage of distractions, particularly when the weather cooperates.
The worthwhile programmes make time to examine what visitors have observed, discuss the research and consider how ideas might work back home. That takes a little more effort than collecting photographs of attractive classrooms.
For teachers, the opportunity to spend several days doing this with international colleagues can be enormously valuable.
Stockholm calling?
Sweden has an interesting educational story to tell, including some less flattering chapters.
The country is currently engaged in serious debates about academic standards, classroom attention, screen use and the role of teachers. Its long-standing traditions of outdoor learning, student participation and professional trust sit alongside a renewed interest in explicit teaching, subject knowledge and educational fundamentals.
For visiting educators, this makes Sweden an especially worthwhile place to explore. There is plenty happening in its classrooms, and no shortage of opinions about where education should go next.
At The Nordic Learning Company, we welcome international teachers and school leaders to Stockholm for practical professional learning. Our courses for schools cover outdoor learning, deeper learning, educational leadership, artificial intelligence and more. Participants bring their own experience to the conversation, which is invariably where some of the most interesting learning happens.
Whether expanded Erasmus+ participation eventually makes these opportunities more accessible to Canadian schools remains to be seen. The details will matter, particularly around eligibility, funding and which types of mobility are included.
Still, there’s something encouraging about Canada and Europe making room for education in their wider relationship.
A few more Canadian teachers in Stockholm, and perhaps a few more Swedish teachers in Canadian classrooms, would be a welcome development.
We suspect the conversations would be excellent.
An invitation to Canadian educators
Curious about professional learning in Sweden? Explore our courses for teachers and school leaders, discover more about learning in Stockholm, or enquire about international job shadowing.
Schools and school boards considering future professional learning visits are welcome to get in touch.
Funding information correct as of 2 November 2026. Expanded Canadian eligibility for Erasmus+ KA1 school education mobility has not been confirmed.
Sources: Canada–EU Joint Statement, October 2026 · Erasmus+ eligible countries
Portions of this text and the associated image have been made using AI-supported tools.
