More difficult to get back students with high school absenteeism after the pandemic: "Worrying situation"

The school attendance team in Eskilstuna meets students in primary school who have 20 to 100 percent absenteeism.

Their task is to find a way for the students to get back to school.

But after the pandemic, that path has become longer.

Marie Olsson says that they are currently undergoing an evaluation of absenteeism in primary schools after the pandemic.

- What we see so far is that we need to strengthen ourselves in how we work promotionally and preventively to keep these children in school, she says.

The principal seeks help

Since the team was formed in 2019, they have helped approximately 140 students out of almost 300 absenteeism cases.

It is the principal of the student's home school who submits the application for help from the team in consultation with the guardian.

Want to catch the students early

The help often starts with the team making a plan with the guardian and the student for how to get back to school.

The team includes sociologists, behavioral scientists and educators.

- We also have a preschool teacher because we want to capture the students at as early a stage as possible.

How are the students and how does the school attendance team work to get the student back to school?

In the clip above, the unit manager Marie Olsson and the team leader Anneli Hedström answer.