- We have many absenteeism both in pre-school and throughout elementary school. We counted the other day and then we had 31 percent absent from primary school classes and that is much more than normal, says Lena Swartz head of school in Torsås municipality.

Many follow the restrictions

The situation in the schools in Växjö municipality changed significantly only between Monday and Tuesday this week. On Monday, 260 were absent from the staff and on Tuesday that figure had increased to 393.

At the same time, a total of 2,843 students were absent on Monday. On Tuesday, the number had grown to 3,726 absent students, from preschool up to high school, in a group of a total of 20,000 students.

- We see a big increase just in the last week. I think many follow the restrictions that you are at home even though you have mild symptoms, says Pernilla Tornèus (M), chair of the education board in Växjö municipality.

Big absence in preschool

In several schools sickness absence is noticed mainly in the preschool.

- Children in pre-school have very high absences. Right now, only 35 percent of students in preschool are there. The call is that if you are the least guilty, then you should be home. Many may have been there otherwise, but the parents take this seriously, says Lasse Johansson (S), chair of the education board in Kalmar Municipality.

- In the preschool we have the greatest absence, between 50 and 60 per cent are at home among the students, says Marcus Fridlund (S) chairman of the children's and education committee in the municipality of Västervik.

- Yesterday we had an absence of 37.5 percent in the preschool, says Anton Sejnehed (S) chairman of the education board in Oskarshamn.

Preparing for school closure

There is still no decision that any elementary school in Sweden should be closed. But schools are preparing for such a scenario.

- The government has asked us to plan for any closure, and such a decision will come and we are prepared. But at the same time, it is important to know who belongs to socially important functions and who will then continue to need childcare, says Marcus Fridlund (S), chairman of the Children's and Education Committee in the municipality of Västervik.

The municipality of Västervik is therefore preparing a mailing to the local residents to find out what occupational roles the citizens have.

- We have no records of who works with what, and in that case we have to identify which parents it is about, says Marcus Fridlund (S).