In this document we present the study material, which was the starting point for the symposium. It consists of experienced teacher educators' and researchers' collected knowledge from classroom and teacher education experience as well as research from the authors and colleagues. The text describes the educational system and the teacher education in Sweden and Norway and recent reforms. It concludes with the identification of some critical issues, which have been, still are or have recently appeared within the educational and competency development of mathematics teachers in Norway and Sweden.