The proposed symposium explores how schools and municipalities in the Nordic countries are building capacity for quality education and how they combat school inequality in the light of increasing segregation and disparities between schools. This challenging situation is not unique to the Nordic countries. It reflects a broader global challenge linked to the fact that education is increasingly recognized as a right protected by the law (Rönnström & Roth, 2023). In response to these challenges, the European Council (2022) has highlighted the urgency of securing inclusive education systems that reduce socio-economic factors as determinants of educational success, address the needs of disadvantaged groups, and confront systemic issues that undermine equitable access to quality education.

There is a growing sense of urgency among policymakers regarding the calls for improved educational success. However, the vision of inclusive education for all is deeply rooted in Nordic, European, and Western liberal traditions (Steinberg & MacDonalds, 2019; Damm, et al. 2021). Education has long been envisioned to strengthen nation-states, democratise society, and develop flexible human capital. Since at least the 20th century, pre-schools and schools have been seen as key agents for social integration, cohesion, and mobility, playing a central role in fostering a sense of belonging among both ethnic majority and minority groups within a shared national identity (cf. Izquierdo & Minguez, 2003; Baumann, 2004). In this context, increasing school segregation and inequity between pre-schools and schools present a challenge not only to the success of individual students and disadvantaged groups but also to the fundamental societal roles that education is expected to fulfill. These trends undermine the ability of education to combat exclusion, address socio-economic disadvantage, and mitigate other detrimental factors that threaten social cohesion and democratic values.

Previous research has shown that school segregation exacerbates divides within educational systems, leaving students in stigmatized areas vulnerable to ignorance, racism, prejudice, and low academic achievement (Rönnström & Roth, 2023). However, some schools exceed expectations and overcome these odds through strategic abd careful understanding of their contexts, resource mobilization, and capacity-building. While extensive research has illuminated the structural and social drivers of school segregation and underperformance (cf. Jonsson & Rudolphi 2011; Bunar & Ambrose, 2016), there remains a gap in understanding how schools defy these conditions and succeed.

Against this challenging background, the symposium focuses on how pre-schools, schools and municipalities in the Nordic countries build capacity, practices and school cultures to combat school inequality in structurally disadvantaged or territorially stigmatized areas (Wacquant, 2007). Rather than concentrating on policy, ideology, or normative claims, the emphasis is on empirical studies that highlight promising practices — lived examples of education and social reconstruction in Nordic educational contexts (cf. Alexander, 2024). The symposium seeks to answer why and how some pre-schools, schools and municipalities succeed in building capacity for quality education and addressing inequality despite operating in stigmatized areas. Furthermore, it explores how and why these institutions and municipalities can be seen as agents of inclusion and equity amid increasing school segregation and inequity.

In this sense, the symposium shifts the focus from explaining structural constraints to discussing actionable, promising practices. It highlights what works in promoting inclusion and equity rather than reiterating the barriers that stand in the way for success. The symposium comprises four papers covering three Scandinavian countries and it provides valuable insights into how education can act as a transformative force in disadvantaged communities working hard to beat their odds. 

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