Several university teachers at Skåne’s top educations testify that their students have difficulty reading books, which Sydsvenskan reported on. And the statistics show a downward trend among Swedish students.
According to the latest measurement from PISA, 24 percent of 15-year-olds lack functional reading and writing skills, a decrease of eleven percentage points compared to the year 2000.
Anna Olskog, president of Sweden’s teachers, is not surprised by the development.
– We who teach in preschool and school on a daily basis feel this in the classroom, she says in TV4’s Efter fem.
“We are not enough”
According to her, Swedish teachers have raised the alarm for several years – but that efforts have not been made.
– These figures are the children’s reality, it is flesh and blood. And we are not enough.
Now she is appealing to the government to do something to solve the problems. Among other things, by investing more in the children’s school time in primary school.
– A child’s primary schooling is three years. And calculated in time for an adult, it is very little. But in lost learning for a child it is devastating, she says and continues:
– It can’t wait. This is beyond serious. It doesn’t work.
Johan Pehrson: “There are no other ways”
Education Minister Johan Pehrson (L) also takes the teacher alarm seriously.
– It is clear that it is frightening that students studying literature have difficulty reading. It’s so strange, it’s pure “Alice in Wonderland”, he says.
Pehrson says that there must be several efforts. Among other things, by introducing more support for students who have difficulties. He also emphasizes the importance of encouraging reading and “going from screen to cover”, which has been an important issue for the Liberals.
– There are no other ways to become good at reading, and you carry that with you in all subjects.
He further says that the government is working on an investigation to remove unnecessary administration for the teachers, so that they can thus focus more on the students.
– We have to back the teachers. It is Sweden’s most important profession in the long term. We have to make sure that there is order in the classrooms, says Johan Pehrson.