The oldest and youngest meet at a school in Örebro.
There, pensioners work on a voluntary basis as extra support for the students. PRO has now applied for money from the general heritage fund to be able to expand the concept.
– It’s like a vitamin injection for the soul, says Gert Andersson, a pensioner who volunteers at Stureskolan.
They do not function as teachers or educators, but rather as an adult friend. At Stureskolan in Örebro, there are five pensioners from the local PRO association who volunteer at the school one day a week.
– It feels safe and fun. I like to talk to them and then during the break to hold their hands, says Ingrid Thulin, who is in second grade at Stureskolan.
Fisun Yavas is the pensioner who is usually in Ingrid’s class and she agrees.
– Our role is that we are fellow human beings, grandmothers, grandmothers. We are also an adult, extra eyes, extra hands and we can show warmth and love. And we have the time too. I can stop and hug a child, because I don’t need 25 more children. I can take one child at a time, she says.
PRO wants to spread the concept
The idea was born out of a discussion between Fisun Yavas and her daughter, who is a special education teacher at Stureskolan. The school’s principal liked the idea and Fisun was the first to be selected for the project.
– It is so fun to see the cooperation between the pensioners and the teachers. That they have found each other and that they have such a nice collaboration. And then to see how the children are so happy when the pensioners come, says Özlem Borgström, special education teacher at Stureskolan.
Pensioners in school is not a new concept, but now PRO has centrally chosen to apply for money from the general heritage fund in order to get more pensioners into schools across the country.
Fun for both students and pensioners
– For that money, we want to build up an organization and an education so that we can get at least twenty more schools on the track. We want this project to spread, grow and then become a permanent activity, says Christine Cars-Ingels, union secretary PRO.
At Stureskolan, both students, school management and pensioners are satisfied and now hope that more will follow their example.
– It’s like a vitamin injection for the soul. Funny things happen here and the children come and hug you and appreciate you very much, says Gert Andersson, a pensioner who volunteers at Stureskolan.