One coronary pandemic was that absenteeism in elementary schools increased dramatically.

- We got a great deal of concern among guardians when the high schools closed down. Many people then chose to keep their children at home out of concern for the children or themselves to become infected, says Anders Malmquist, Malmö City's primary school director.

Socially vulnerable areas

Particularly high absenteeism was noted among schools in socially vulnerable areas.

- Just as the Public Health Agency says, we believe that it is about Swedish society having more difficulty in reaching other language groups with information. I have talked to my colleagues in Stockholm and Gothenburg and they have had exactly the same situation with a much greater absence in the more socially vulnerable areas, ”says Anders Malmquist.

Active efforts

In order to get the students back, they worked actively in Malmö with two comprehensive communication efforts and could notice after the Easter holidays that the work produced results.

- The first step was to generate information in ten different languages ​​that explained the situation and that the school worked as usual, says Anders Malmquist.

The week before the Easter holiday, they also went out with yet another great communication effort, which reminded them of school duty and how to work to maintain it in Malmö.

Continued absence

The more extreme levels of absenteeism have now dropped, but the level is still slightly higher than normal.

- We must expect that, because the Public Health Authority invites everyone who is the least obliged to stay at home.