Seven in ten teachers say pupils lack the support they need

Seven in ten teachers say support for pupils is inadequate within Sweden’s schools, while four in ten say pupils’ difficulties disrupt all or most lessons, according to a new union survey.

Sveriges Lärare, the teachers’ union, published the findings on 7 October. Its analysis uses 1,188 responses from teachers in preschool class and compulsory school, collected between 16 April and 12 May.

Teachers reported that 26% of pupils had some form of difficulty. The survey covers a broad range, from reading, writing and concentration problems to stress, mental-health difficulties and circumstances at home. That figure is a teacher assessment, not a count of diagnosed conditions.

More than nine in ten teachers said they worried about at least one pupil’s chances of completing school and managing later studies, work or life. Nearly eight in ten reported inadequate support outside school too.

The union wants smaller teaching groups and earlier help for children who fall behind, including better access to specialist teachers, school counsellors and psychologists.

It also calls on the government to bring agencies, researchers and other organisations together on children’s health and schooling. The union attributes the pressures to underfunding; the survey records teachers’ experiences rather than independently establishing that cause.

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