Hudikswalls students punished - but who is responsible?

On Tuesday, it rings at the door of the SVT editorial office in Hudiksvall. Outside are five students from MTH education in Hudiksvall.

They have seen SVT's publication about the school that day. An element where we say that many students quit school, according to the parents we talked to, because it does not work well.

Now the students want to give their views on the school. They talk about shortcomings in teaching. If they are afraid of their future - because they do not know if they have gained enough knowledge to finish high school.

They are there on their own initiative, because they want it to come out how they experience the school.

I am there as responsible publisher for SVT Gävleborg.

For me, it goes without saying that they should be able to tell. All children have freedom of speech. If you are 15 - 16 years old and want to talk about your school, it is a constitutionally protected right - no matter what the guardians or other adults think about it. End of discussion.

The students are also the ones who have the best insight and knowledge about how the school works. Thus, they are an important source.

We interview the students and publish the feature a few days later.

After that, basically nothing happens. No answers from the school despite the fact that we are repeatedly looking for the principal Johanna Örnehag.

A few days later it comes to our knowledge that apparently a lot of things are happening - behind closed doors. The students who participated in the interview and their parents are called to individual conversations with the principal - one by one.

One of the students is forced to quit school after that meeting. It is never stated openly, but the boy's father feels that the school is closed by him.

Providing reprisals to sources that have turned to the media is illegal. According to Nils Funcke, expert on freedom of speech issues, the headmaster's handling of the students after SVT's interview may be a violation of the freedom of speech.

Ylva Mårtens, a journalist who monitors this type of question, also reacts strongly and says that it is a belligerent violation of freedom of expression.

But not a word from the headmaster. We continue to look for her. There are so many questions we want to ask.

We want answers to how she looks at the allegations of constitutional violations, the criticism from students and parents, the school's student loss and so on.

But she does not answer us at SVT.

Instead, she turns to Helahälsingland and publishes her version of it all. The criticism of the school is wrong and sometimes purely inventive, she says. She also claims that she is accessible and easy to reach.

We have texted, called and e-mailed her before and after every publication we have done. We also went to school and searched for her on the spot. Then she never came out to meet us. Teacher had to state that she could not talk to us.

She simply does not want to answer SVT's questions.

We have received some criticism directed at us at SVT for these publications, which is that we are looking to destroy for the school because it is a free school.

Nothing could be more wrong. We would have reported on a municipal school in exactly the same way we do with MTH education.

We have no opinion on MTH education. We report what other sources say - the school inspection, students, parents, experts. That is the role and task of the media.

If we had received answers from the school, we would have also reported them.

But there is a significant difference between reporting on a free school and a municipal school. If the headmaster of a municipal school refuses to answer questions, we journalists can turn to the school administration and ask the questions. There is a school principal who is the highest responsible official. Above the officials there are politicians - an education board, a chairman of the education board, opposition politicians.

In addition, there are public documents that we can request.

In short, there are many ways to go to review and get answers about a municipal school.

MTH education is a completely independent freeschool. It is not part of a group. The school is owned and run by the principal and her husband. If she wants to close the door, there is no transparency whatsoever. No one else to demand answers.

That's the big difference.