- It's clear that I worry if I don't have colleagues, says Madelene Jonsson, special mathematics teacher in Jönköping.

She has worked as a teacher for 25 years and for the last eleven years supporting students who have difficulty achieving goals in school.

Looks the same in several municipalities

Jönköping is one of the municipalities in the county that feels that it is generally difficult to recruit special teachers in primary schools.

A survey sent out by SVT Nyheter Jönköping shows that it looks the same in several of the county's municipalities.

In Vetlanda, some positions are missing in the primary school and the primary special school for the autumn term.

In Mullsjö, a special teacher is needed and also a spedial pedagogue.

Sometimes applicants are completely missing

In Gislaved, an investment has been made to increase special education competence.

Ahead of the autumn semester 2021, the municipality managed to recruit eight new special educators and special teachers within the primary school to cover the need that exists.

In the municipality of Jönköping, the education administration continues to train special teachers in a so-called professional program where the teachers receive compensation during the training.

- I have great hopes that we will have the professional program in Jönköping, but we also have to make sure that there are trained special teachers in the schools, because if you are new you want to work with colleagues who have experience, says Madelene Jonsson.

She herself has not regretted that she furthered her education.

- It's a lot of work, but I think it's worth it.

It's a fantastic job.

But do you feel that the schools understand the importance of your work?

- Yes I think so.

You put out positions, but sometimes you don't get any applicants.

Almost every tenth student does not receive the right support

In a recent survey by Save the Children in which almost 8,000 children participated, nine percent answered that they do not get the help they need at school to complete their schoolwork.

Madelene Jonsson's conviction is that, for example, Johanna Gustafsson's problems at school today would have been discovered in time.

She relates, among other things, to the Read, write, count guarantee, regulations that were introduced in the 2019 School Act and which mean that a student has the right to support designed as needed.

In the clip above, she explains why it is so important to meet students who need support in time.