In a new report, MUCF states that around 80,000 children and young people in Sweden live in areas with major socio-economic challenges. There, just over 30 percent of students do not qualify for upper secondary school, compared to around 10 percent for students in other areas.
Only about half of students in disadvantaged areas complete upper secondary school within four years of completing primary school. And not completing or graduating from school is one of the biggest risk factors for exclusion, according to MUCF.
Learning the language
Simona Mohamsson says that "school plays a crucial, preventive role in steering children away from a life of crime".
Learning Swedish early, through preschool, is important, according to Mohamsson. She says the government also wants to introduce mandatory language preschool for children who need it.
"In addition, several initiatives are being taken to ensure safer school attendance, including through investments in school social teams, mobile-free schools and enhanced student health," she says.
Best teachers
MUCF believes that the best teachers need to be in vulnerable areas to be able to meet the greatest challenges.
According to Mohamsson, the government is already implementing "investments with a special focus on schools in disadvantaged areas."
"Among other things, we have strengthened the government subsidy for better working environments and working conditions for teachers in schools with socio-economic challenges," she writes.
To improve the work environment, the government has announced that "teachers' teaching time and time for planning and follow-up work will be regulated," she states.
