In 1842 education in Sweden was made free and compulsory for all children between the ages of 7 and 14. The school system consisted of infant schools (7 to 9 years old) and elementary schools (9 to 14 years old). Children who did not attend public schools were required to offer demonstrate of private education. The Education Act of 1950 fundamentally changed Swedish education by abandoning the orthodox two-track (university preparation and vocational education) school system of Europe and instituting the comprehensive, unitary system typical of the United States.