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Three semesters of video calls, studies at the kitchen table and days confined to the home. Many of Sweden’s high school students are tired of distance education and long to go back to school. – Being able to go back would have been great for me, says third grader Emelie Lovén.
Isa Major is in her third year at Samskolan in Gothenburg. She is one of the many who are tired of distance education.
In mid-March of last year, Emelie Lovén, 18, was sent home from school. The coronavirus had spread in Sweden and all teaching would take place remotely.
The large premises of Östra Real Secondary School were exchanged for the village in Sollentuna on the outskirts of Stockholm, classmates were replaced by family members, and teaching was moved to a computer screen. The world shrunk.
Ten months and two semesters later, life seems the same.
– After the summer holidays, we had to go to school first every two and then every three weeks. But even then there were many illnesses, both teachers and students were gone. It didn’t work out as usual and some days they disappeared completely. Then it was the total distance again, says Emelie Lovén.
In June, the student is taken away and now anxiety gnaws at her. Will grades have been affected by so much teleworking?
The teachers do their best according to the conditions, emphasizes Emelie Lovén, but everything gets more complicated. It’s hard to communicate, feedback is lacking, and it’s easier to get left behind.
– You sit in the same place all day and you don’t get environmental changes. It affects how you can focus, and you don’t get the social either, he says and adds:
– There will be completely unequal conditions for all students. It looks very different how everyone feels at home and the conditions are completely different than when everyone is sitting in the same classroom. It can affect studies.
17-year-old Ida Eriksson chose the aesthetics program at Rytmus High School for one reason: She dreamed of playing music. At Rytmus, he could develop his song, get on stage, and perform with an ensemble. But with distance learning, it was eliminated.
– Much of our education consists of getting used to the stage. Losing that experience feels incredibly sad, he says.
The singing lessons have been conducted via video calls, but other practical subjects are more difficult.
– We tried to use a program for the ensemble where everyone could record their instrument remotely and then sync together. But it did not become as lively as I wanted the music to be, it was heard that we are not in the same place and we do it together. It sounds … empty, almost.
For many who live in an apartment, it is difficult to practice at home, says Ida Eriksson. Especially if you play the trumpet or some other loud decibel instrument.
– My father, for example, works at home and sits in meetings all day, so I cannot sing or play the piano as I would like, he says.
17-year-old Isa Major is in her second year at Gothenburg Higher School and is more positive about distance learning.
True, it can be more difficult to keep up with subjects you already struggle with, he admits, but at the same time teaching becomes more flexible.
– You can prioritize in another way. If I finish an assignment in Swedish, I don’t need to put the lesson in it, instead I can focus on something that I’m behind. Some subjects get more difficult, but I think the teachers have that in mind and you may have more opportunities to complete. she says.
On the other hand, distance education affects everyday life in other ways. The walks to and from the bus disappear, not even the few steps between different classrooms are lost. Instead, Isa Major sits in the same place all day.
– You tire your head more by sitting inside. It certainly hurts the learning process in its own way, he says.
The announcement that the government is now easing restrictions and opening up to a combination of distance education and face-to-face teaching was a relief, all three think.
– You have to make sure there are no more infections, of course, but personally it feels great if we can be at school, says Isa Major.
She is supported by Emelie Lovén:
– It is clear that you must have distance if this helps to stop the spread of the infection, but I think it is very important to have school in the school as well. In any case, every two weeks, as I had last fall, I had something positive to look forward to all the time.
However, Ida Eriksson still doesn’t dare to breathe out properly. She is concerned about her future in the music industry and that the new rules will create different conditions for music students across the country.
– I am afraid that in Stockholm we will receive more distance education because the spread of the infection is greater here. So maybe students from smaller cities get better grades with more stage experience and better development than we do, he says.
