“Additional hours are added instead of taking care of the work environment problems, says Pia Rizell, second vice president of Sweden’s Teachers.”
Preschool
The teachers in Gothenburg’s preschools are overwhelmed by large groups of children.
After the turn of the year, they will be even bigger.
Gothenburg has clubbed that those on parental leave should be allowed to leave their children in preschool for twice as long. From today’s 15 hours a week to 30 hours.
The message was received with mixed feelings by the teachers in the preschool.
– If you can secure the working environment for the staff, have high quality and security, then that is good. For some children, preschool is almost vital, says Pia Rizell, second vice president of Sweden’s Teachers.
But she is doubtful that Gothenburg municipality will be able to guarantee it.
– Both the short-term and long-term sick leave for the teachers in the preschool can be traced to symptoms of stress.
“Starting at the wrong end”
Introducing a reform that means an even higher workload is wrong, says Pia Rizell.
– You start at the wrong end when you add additional hours instead of first taking care of the work environment problems.
She refers to the OECD’s latest Talis study, which showed that preschool teachers work under extreme stress and that 41 percent of them do not think they will still be in the profession in five years.
Have pointed out the risks
Pia Rizell is working with a government inquiry into the preschool and thinks that the municipality of Gothenburg should have waited for the inquiry’s proposal.
– It should have been submitted on December 18, but has been extended and will now be submitted during the spring term.
Andrea Meiling.
The decision in Gothenburg was preceded by a long debate. Andrea Meiling, chairman of Sweden’s Teachers in Gothenburg, has during the autumn pointed out the risks of offering a doubling of the time in preschool.
– The conditions in Gothenburg’s preschools are far from optimal for expanding to 30 hours. It is for large groups of children, learning environments, sound environments and language-stimulating working methods are malnourished. We have too low a teacher density. Those problems must be solved before moving on with allowing children to stay longer, she has previously told Vi Lärare.
Important to maintain routines
That was not the case. Jonas Attenius, chairman of the municipal board in Gothenburg, believes that the children’s perspective is more important.
– Those children are maybe three to four years old, have started to make friends and it is important to maintain routines and to continue to develop pedagogically so that you prepare for the start of school. Preschool can also contribute with language development, he tells the newspaper Expressen.
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