Pupils with learning disabilities are taught in special programmes, which to varying degrees are part of the ordinary school system. Compulsory education covers 9 or 10 years, thereafter followed by upper secondary education of four years.

Compulsory education starts the process of preparing pupils for life after school. While pupils work with the regular school subjects, the teacher makes sure that other important goals are satisfied so that pupils develop confidence in their own ability, learn to take account of and show respect in interaction with others, as well as learning to listen and discuss. The pupil's individual study plan is drawn up in a development dialogue between the pupil, parents and teachers and sets up goals, which are regularly evaluated. Study visits are carried out to different workplaces in the upper years of the school. Pupils have the opportunity for one or a number of work practise periods at appropriate workplaces for a couple of weeks. In the last year, they also have work practice at the upper secondary school for pupils with learning disabilities in order to be able to choose the right programme.

The upper secondary education is divided into national and individual programmes. There are large individual differences between pupils in a given programme, but generally it can be stated that pupils in the national programmes are being prepared to enter the labour market, whilst pupils in individual programmes usually continue their working life at day centres. What is stated here about the transition to working life applies in the first instance to pupils in national programmes.

According to the curriculum the upper secondary education should "on the basis of each pupil's preconditions deepen and develop the pupil's knowledge as part of the preparation for a meaningful life as an adult at work, in practical daily living and leisure activities". The curriculum also states that the head teacher has a special responsibility for ensuring that each pupil is provided with support at training located at the workplace and later when moving to working life.

The upper secondary education contains eight national programmes. Each programme contains core subjects common to the programme as well as subjects specific to the chosen programme. The goals for education in each individual subject are set out in the syllabuses. All work is directed towards fulfilling the goal of "a meaningful adult life". The syllabuses focus on knowledge, which can be used at work, for living and recreation. Civics, for example, provides opportunities to train specific skills, which are necessary for using social services and services in everyday life.

The individual study plan is used as an instrument to guide the pupil from the compulsory school and onwards and makes it possible to set educational goals and social goals at the right level. Visits to workplaces and work practise periods are covered in the planning, as well as contacts with AMU (labour market training), employment exchanges etc, a so called "transition plan".
Planning for the future where pupils should be able to choose housing based on their own needs and resources should also be covered. This presupposes some knowledge about different types of housing and study visits, e.g. group housing.

Managing the tough transition from school to workplace means that pupils require more than just practical knowledge to carry out their work tasks. They must be able to manage social interaction at a workplace with all that this entails. Consequently, the school must also work with issues concerning lifestyle and pupils' relations to other people. Not least, pupils need help in forming their own identity. As a complement to other subjects, there are courses, which provide greater opportunities to work with these issues and train skills connected with living and recreation. Carefully prepared employment may be jeopardised if the pupil does not have meaningful recreation, and just goes home after finishing work. In order to prevent this, the pupil should receive guidance in pursuing recreational activities and have tried out different activities to find those, which they can continue with after finishing at school.

APU – Workplace training – or work practice is the best way of preparing for working life. For many pupils, work practice serves as an entry point to employment after completing schooling. Pupils who go to a workplace must be well prepared and should know what is expected of them. Similarly, the workplace supervisor must be informed of the support pupils need. The supervisor should be clear over what the pupil should get out of the period spent in working life. During the practice period, the teacher visits the workplace to provide support and together with the supervisor helps the pupil make a realistic assessment of appropriate work tasks and what aids would help to make this easier. When the pupil returns to school, an assessment is carried out of the pupil's experiences and the supervisor's views, and changes are made to goals in the individual study plan based on this.

APU/practice should cover at least 22 weeks. Allocation of practice periods is done by each school in a dialogue with the pupils. In their last term at school, the majority of pupils spend most of the time at work practice, but there are individual variations.

It is not possible to identify particular occupations as appropriate for people with learning disabilities. Rather it is the case that in a number of occupations, there are tasks, which could be selected to form the basis for appropriate work. Most pupils need some form of work adaptation.