This paper provides an analysis of the complex role of Nordic schools in both enhancing and reducing socioeconomic inequalities in civic competences. We have explored two forms of learning civic competence—open classroom climate and in-school civic participation activities, both effective ways to learn the skills of political engagement (Hoskins et al., 2012; Hoskins et al., 2017; Hoskins & Janmaat, 2019; Keating & Janmaat, 2016; Knowles et al., 2018). A multilevel analysis method was used to examine the IEA International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) 2009 and 2016 data of four Nordic countries. The results show that unequal access to civic learning (in-school civic participation and open classroom climate) exist. We found differences in access within schools in which students with more advantages experienced greater opportunities to participate. Additionally, those schools that had an intake with a higher proportion of socioeconomically advantaged students tended to provide more civic learning opportunities and open classroom climates. Inequalities in access to civic learning activities manifested themselves in different ways in schools across the Nordic countries. There is some evidence that this happens more regularly in Sweden than in Finland, though Norway recorded the highest levels of unequal access inside schools, and no Nordic country provides equal access to all the forms of civic learning we studied. At the same time, however, there were forms of civic learning in Nordic schools that were found to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in civic competences. The results showed in-school civic participation can compensate for a disadvantaged background for developing future electoral participation and civic knowledge in students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

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