Five principals analyze the happy Pisa message

In 2012, Sweden set the bottom record in several areas of knowledge at schools in the country. Since then, the results have turned upwards, and today the message came that the results have continued to increase since the last survey, and the Swedish schools are again above the other OECD countries' averages. Mathematics is the topic that has improved most, which many heads of western Sweden do not see as a coincidence.

"We have made targeted efforts in mathematics, and we see that it has produced results over time," says Robert Olsson, who is the principal at the Council School in Mellerud.

- At an early stage, we decided to provide extra support in math for all students. But we are also a fairly stable school with teachers who remain, which has obviously helped us, says Synneve Åberg, who is the principal at the University School of Mariestad.

Engelbrektsskolan in Borås has also made special efforts to increase the mathematical skills of its pupils, but also reading comprehension, which is one of the subjects that differs most in high- and low-performing pupils. And that the differences are increasing between the students, Bosse Leskinen, principal at Engelbrektsskolan, believes that can depend a lot on newly arrived students.

- If we have the same students in the same classes throughout high school, we often get better results. If new students come into classes, it is more difficult to achieve. But we have the advantage that we have been able to have the same teacher for a long time, says Bosse Leskinen.

He also believes that there are more reasons for how students perform.

- We also see that the results are dependent on cuts. We lived under very difficult circumstances three years ago, when we barely had one teacher in each classroom. Obviously, it matters. Until 2019 things have gotten better, but with the new financial year, it starts again. It is the weakest who are affected. The high performers are doing well, Bosse Leskinen continues.

Sara Högberg, who has been assistant principal at the Summer Home School for a couple of months, believes that the school's student health team is an important part of reducing the gap between low- and high-performing students.

- The student health team can monitor the students and how they are doing, and thus see what efforts are needed to help them develop.

The principal at the Stavres school in Trollhättan, Tomas Malmin, also believes that the student health team has an important role in reducing the gap.

- Today there are children who do not feel well and do not enjoy school, it obviously affects their results. I think more resources are needed to help those students.

Tomas Malmin says that in Trollhättan, they have made several efforts to improve the results locally since 2012 when the results were below average. Something that now turns out to have worked.

- I think it is the fruit of several years of systematic work that now yields results. In Trollhättan, we have worked with Karlstad University to evaluate what we need to do locally in schools and in each classroom. I think that has produced results now.