Mattsson’s family moved to Sicily, but the school world turned out to be a disappointment for them. The family’s mother’s critical letter and experiences have been the talk of the town in Italy.
14:40•Updated 15:44
Mattsson’s family moved to the city of Syracuse on the east coast of Sicily, attracted by the climate and culture. However, the school world was a disappointment for the family.
The mother of the family Elin Mattsson to local To Siracusa News (you will switch to another service) the critical letter sent has been the topic of conversation in Italy in recent days. The news has also spread to the world. For example CNN (switch to another service) highlighted the experiences of the Finnish family on their travel website.
Aggressive behavior by teachers and noisy classes
The family from Porvoo and Åland moved to Sicily in September 2022. Mattsson works as a visual artist and his spouse is in the IT field. There are four children in the family.
Just a couple of months after their move, the family decided to pack up and leave Sicily. The reason for the move was the children’s school, which did not meet the family’s expectations.
Mattsson noticed that his elementary school-aged child was always hyperactive after the school day.
– I asked if he had gone out or played during the breaks, but this was obviously not the case. The boy said that he sat in the same chair from ten in the morning until two when I picked him up from school.
Mattsson also paid attention to the noise in the classes. In addition, the attitude of the teachers was surprising. According to Mattsson, some of the teachers behaved aggressively, for example by shouting at the children, blowing the whistle or hitting the table.
For the family, the experience of teaching a child starting his first school year was too much, and they decided to move back to southern Spain.
– We thought that this is not worth it if the child is unwell.
An open letter to a local newspaper attracted media attention
Mattsson wrote an open letter about his experiences in English and sent it to a local newspaper. The editor translated the letter into Italian. Mattsson thinks that the tone of the letter became more offensive in the translation than in the original. The attention the letter received was surprising.
– The topic has been written about in several different magazines and TV channels have called me.
According to Mattsson, the purpose of the article was not to attack anyone, although many people have experienced this.
– Some have taken the writing to themselves and wondered why I haven’t stayed in Finland, if everything is so perfect there.
The subject has also been reported on Svenska ‘s website.
What are your experiences with the education systems of different countries? You can discuss the topic until 23:00 on 16 January 2023.