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Karlskrona is a municipality that has not been able to make full use of the state subsidy.
– Sometimes not all teachers have the opportunity to meet the requirements that are established for professional services. We have schools where we don’t have licensed teachers right now, says Ann-Christin Nielsen, department head of Knowledge Management.
The idea of professional services it is to make the teaching profession more attractive and to increase skills. For schools with particularly difficult conditions, based on the socioeconomic origin of the students, there is a special fund of money in the National Education Agency, which is distributed as necessary to municipalities and private school companies. The money will go towards giving at least SEK 10,000 in salary increase to various qualified teachers. Full teachers can receive at least 15,000 SEK in salary increases. For the fall semester 2020, SEK 205 million was reserved for this jackpot. Of this amount, school principals have requested SEK 138 million, or 67 percent.
Karlskrona is thus one of the municipalities that has not been able to use all the money to which the municipality was entitled. There just aren’t enough qualified teachers, says Ann-Christin Nielsen. The grant does not cover new teacher jobs, but it would have been necessary, she says. Other skills are needed, too, she says.
– We have seen great value in, for example, having social educators at school. There is often a social problem in vulnerable areas as well, so there may be other professions that could be incredibly helpful as well, says Ann-Christin Nielsen.
Government Grants for Professional Services they have looked different over the years, since last fall they have been designed in a new way that will make it easier for schools to apply. Sofie Lundkvist, head of unit at the National Education Agency, believes that municipalities will use more money in the future.
– I think you should have some ice in your stomach and at least wait for another round and see how this is relative to the other contributions, he says.
She emphasizes that schools must do more than raise wages.
– This is one way to motivate through salary, but there are other ways these organizations should probably work, says Sofie Lundkvist.
