The Thorengruppen has expanded rapidly in the last decade with the high schools Thoren Business School, Thoren Innovation School and Vocational High School.
In the past year, the School Inspectorate has directed scathing criticism at Thoren Business School in Solna and Växjö, and Thoren Innovation School in Malmö.
– It is upsetting. It’s about the students’ future, says Agneta Broberg, regional manager at the School Inspectorate.
Risk of closure
With the support of new, stricter legislation, the School Inspectorate threatens to close the schools in Malmö and Växjö, if the deficiencies are not remedied, or if new deficiencies arise within two years.
But SVT’s review shows that there have been serious problems at many more schools, sometimes recurring ones. SVT has reviewed all of the School Inspectorate’s inspection reports for the group’s upper secondary schools since 2010.
The review shows that students in various ways missed out on the education they are entitled to at 23 secondary schools.
These include, for example, newly opened schools without premises and equipment in place, schedule conflicts and internships that do not measure up.
When the School Inspectorate discovered the deficiencies, the schools were instructed to remedy them. However, the same or new defects have sometimes been found at the next inspection.
Agneta Broberg at the Schools Inspectorate believes that the authority has done what it can to keep track of the schools’ quality.
– When we see that the shortcomings have been remedied, we have to release the schools, that is how the legislation has looked, she says.
SEK 81 million to the owner
The Thorengruppen currently has 39 upper secondary schools and several primary schools.
Last year, the group was rejected on all applications to start new schools due to the quality deficiencies. Instead, the group has continued to grow by buying schools.
In ten years, turnover has quadrupled. In the meantime, Thorengruppen has earned a total of SEK 944 million. The owner, Raja Thorén, has received SEK 81 million in share dividends.
No one from the Thorengruppen has so far wanted to answer SVT’s questions in an interview. In an email, the management writes that they are working with full force to resolve the problems.
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