It was at a supervision that the School Inspectorate discovered that the students did not get the guaranteed teaching time in the subjects music and home knowledge. The School Inspectorate now requires measures from the Gällivare municipality and so does the Teachers' Union.

- That the students get grades without teaching is very strange. Actually, one should write "grades missing" until the students have really had teaching, says Åsa Fahlén.

"Can be tough for students"

The municipality's solution is to give the students more hours in the subjects music and home knowledge during the coming semesters in order to catch up on the teaching they have not received.

- But it is not a good solution as it can then be tough for the students as they need to have other subjects like Swedish and math regularly. It can be a lot for them at the final stage.

teacher shortage

Åsa Fahlén is of course well aware that it is the teacher shortage that has caused Gällivare municipality to have problems with teaching. Many municipalities find it difficult to get hold of competent teachers.

- You may think it would be a solution to bring in unauthorized teachers, but it is not the right way to solve the teacher shortage. There must be competent teachers at our schools, says Åsa Fahlén.

Proposed solution

How should one be able to solve the situation for the affected students in Gällivare?

- A flexible solution may be needed at a transitional stage. There may be competent teachers in other municipalities who can move in and plan the teaching and be at school at least occasionally. These competent teachers can look at the students' test results and then score. It will of course cost for the municipality, but then it must do so, says Åsa Fahlén.