Here is an article from the Swedish site, Samhällsnytt, in which a teacher, writing anonymously, describes what it is like dealing with the large influx of immigrant (mostly Arabic speaking) children in their classrooms. Not only are they unable to speak Swedish, many are illiterate, and finally, behavior is a constant problem. The article was published last April. Translation by Fousesquawk.
https://samnytt.se/larare-svenska-skolan-i-fritt-fall/
Teacher: Swedish schools in free fall
In all the years I have had the benefit to teach young people, I have felt that I have a task to fulfill. A child who learns to read, write, and count, discovers the world, and I have the possibility to open up the world for them. Today the world has unfortunately been opened up for Swedish school children in a more brutal way.
In the middle and thousands of other classrooms in Sweden, we have received newly-arrived children and young people. Children and young people who cannot read, write or count. These children and young people are placed in classes with Swedish pupils who can read, write and count.
Of course, I as teacher have to prioritize and help the newly-arrived to learn the language. Many are completely illiterate and have never had the possibility to go to school. Anyone can figure out that this affects the Swedish pupils who don't get my help and knowledge to develop their education.Unfortunately, Swedish parents do not understand that this affects down their children.
There are some newly arrived young people who struggle and invest everything to be able to learn and go further with education and might become doctors, lawyers or programmers. To teach these ambitious newly arrived young people is a joy for me as teacher and educator.
Then there is a large mass of newly-arrived. They ignore school, that ignore the teaching, that are unpleasant and rude. Some are even threatening. From feeling happy when I go to my work, now I go with pain in my stomach.
I know I will be called a "damn whore, "damned pussy", and I know I will hear, "You don't decide on me." There will be a mess and noise in the classroom, hallways, school yard and dining room. Changing rooms where classes change for physical education classes will, as usual, (be places) where girls don't dare change since boys will show up and sneakily film/photograph the girls.
Showering is not on the world map for girls and even for some boys in school. It is enough that one or two pupils refuses to follow the instruction and screams "shut up" to me every time I am going to say something, thus the lesson is destroyed for 28 other pupils who want to learn something.
I know I will be called a "damn whore, "damned pussy", and I know I will hear, "You don't decide on me." There will be a mess and noise in the classroom, hallways, school yard and dining room. Changing rooms where classes change for physical education classes will, as usual, (be places) where girls don't dare change since boys will show up and sneakily film/photograph the girls.
Showering is not on the world map for girls and even for some boys in school. It is enough that one or two pupils refuses to follow the instruction and screams "shut up" to me every time I am going to say something, thus the lesson is destroyed for 28 other pupils who want to learn something.
When I call parents for a conversation, I hear that I don't have the right to tell their children, that I should be careful so that I won't be reported to the principal or school inspectors. They know where I and my family live, what car I drive and I know that the risk is great that my car gets scratched destroyed in some other way. I know that certain pupils threaten other pupils, but I don't dare get in the middle because I risk getting beaten.
I know that it is no idea to talk to my boss, who is the principal, because I will hear that we teachers are required to accept these newly-arrived and we cannot treat any pupil differently by sending the pupil out of the classroom. The (National ) School Agency has said that we will include pupils, this has gone so far that many principals completely refuse to remove pupils from the classroom.
Now in the spring that the national tests are starting, I have sadly sat and corrected my classes' tests and see the results collapse. This, the principal says, he wants to change - by "correcting positively". This means, for example, that if the student answers incorrectly, one can think that this is just a careless mistake or "the person in question actually meant this way so it is almost right". I have been present when the correctional teacher went into the classroom and asked the pupil what he really meant, and you can correct (the error) by thinking that the student does not have the words to explain the answer in Swedish.
The principal has also said that unauthorized teachers will correct the national tests. Soon the spring term will end and the grades will be recorded, and these grades will also be recorded by unauthorized teachers and the principal signs off (on them), which he has the right to do.
If I, as a teacher, believe that a pupil has not been active in the lessons and shown his knowledge, but should receive an F grade, then I know the parents will nag and threaten me. But the principal will also see to it that the pupil gets an E, or better, an A.
For most of the newly arrived parents, there is only an A for their child. For one to even suggest that their child should get anything else generates complaints and harassment. The politicians who sit in the municipalities state that, as a teacher, you should go to your immediate supervisor if you are threatened or harassed. But nothing is done.
In the worst case, one can be referred to make a work environment report and in the case of threats and harassment between pupils, then one should make an incident report. These incident reports may not contain anything allegedlyy "racist". For example, one may write, "student A called me" whore and pussy "- but not that he did it in Arabic. Then it becomes clear that it is a newly-arrived (pupil) who said this.
If I, as a teacher, write an incident report, then it goes to the principal who fixes it, so that when it goes to the municipality, it is beautified. The principals are frightened of (having) a bad reputation. A bad reputation means that parents don't put their children in the school, and leads to no funding. The schools depend on funding, and therefore, they do everything to see between the fingers of abuse, threat and harassment.
In one school there was a pupil who choked and beat another student so badly that he ended up in the hospital with a concussion. The police report was made and the student was terminated - we thought. On Monday the following week, the pupil came to school and was just as threatening as before. The effort the principal made was that he hired a 19-year-old boy as a resource for the pupil.
Now it has been decided that 9,000 newcomers will be able to go to high school and they must finish school to be able to stay. As a result, we teachers now have the power, in the eyes of the students, to decide whether they can stay in Sweden. They demand approved grades, threaten, and harass. They ignore attendance of the lessons and then, when they risk more than 20% absence, they come with various excuses, such as they don't feel well, the (support money) had not come for SL (bus/metro) tickets, or something else. They want people to help them with housing applications, / CSN / (student loan agency) support payments during the homework hours. I have less and less time to be a teacher and to teach.
Anyone can figure out that this affects Swedish pupils who don't get my help and knowledge to develop their education. But unfortunately, Swedish parents don't understand that this affects their children also.
Now in the spring that the national tests are starting, I have sadly sat and corrected my classes' tests and see the results collapse. This, the principal says, he wants to change - by "correcting positively". This means, for example, that if the student answers incorrectly, one can think that this is just a careless mistake or "the person in question actually meant this way so it is almost right". I have been present when the correctional teacher went into the classroom and asked the pupil what he really meant, and you can correct (the error) by thinking that the student does not have the words to explain the answer in Swedish.
The principal has also said that unauthorized teachers will correct the national tests. Soon the spring term will end and the grades will be recorded, and these grades will also be recorded by unauthorized teachers and the principal signs off (on them), which he has the right to do.
If I, as a teacher, believe that a pupil has not been active in the lessons and shown his knowledge, but should receive an F grade, then I know the parents will nag and threaten me. But the principal will also see to it that the pupil gets an E, or better, an A.
For most of the newly arrived parents, there is only an A for their child. For one to even suggest that their child should get anything else generates complaints and harassment. The politicians who sit in the municipalities state that, as a teacher, you should go to your immediate supervisor if you are threatened or harassed. But nothing is done.
In the worst case, one can be referred to make a work environment report and in the case of threats and harassment between pupils, then one should make an incident report. These incident reports may not contain anything allegedlyy "racist". For example, one may write, "student A called me" whore and pussy "- but not that he did it in Arabic. Then it becomes clear that it is a newly-arrived (pupil) who said this.
If I, as a teacher, write an incident report, then it goes to the principal who fixes it, so that when it goes to the municipality, it is beautified. The principals are frightened of (having) a bad reputation. A bad reputation means that parents don't put their children in the school, and leads to no funding. The schools depend on funding, and therefore, they do everything to see between the fingers of abuse, threat and harassment.
In one school there was a pupil who choked and beat another student so badly that he ended up in the hospital with a concussion. The police report was made and the student was terminated - we thought. On Monday the following week, the pupil came to school and was just as threatening as before. The effort the principal made was that he hired a 19-year-old boy as a resource for the pupil.
Now it has been decided that 9,000 newcomers will be able to go to high school and they must finish school to be able to stay. As a result
Anyone can figure out that this affects Swedish pupils who don't get my help and knowledge to develop their education. But unfortunately, Swedish parents don't understand that this affects their children also.
There is much more to say, but the conclusion (based on) my long experience is that Swedish schools are in free fall and it will get worse.
Frustrated teacher The writer has worked as a teacher since the 1990s in various schools in the Stockholm District at all levels, elementary schools, secondary school and adult education and has taught Swedish children, young people, and newly-arrived (immigrants).
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