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Rebecka, 14, has received racist comments since preschool
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For several years, the two schoolmates watched their friend Rebecka get attacked because of the color of her skin.
In the end, the girls got tired and reported the school for not stopping the rapes.
– If only there was an adult who dared to say no … but it is not like that, says Matilda, 15 years old.
Rebecka, 14, has attended the same school since preschool. Even then, he received comments about the color of his skin. Comments that were felt but later rejected by her.
She is one of the few dark-skinned students at the school, she says.
– I remember the first time a student at school called me the n word. It was in the sixth. Before that, I hadn’t taken what they said too badly, but then I did, Rebecka says.
The situation at the school, which is municipal and located in a residential idyll in the south of Stockholm, worsened over time. Even though the problems have been repeatedly pointed out to both the teachers and the principal. This summer, two of Rebecca’s friends decided to report the school to several different authorities because they felt the school did not act.
Photo: BJÖRN LINDAHL
Students Matilda and Rebecka want to highlight the situation at the school in South Stockholm, where they feel that racist comments are a problem.
“In recent years, the student has been called a muddy hippopotamus, because of her appearance she is dark skinned …
From the enrollment of the students.
“I feel like I’m exaggerating”
Rebecka is actually called something else. So does one of the friends who signed up, whom we call Matilda. Both girls want to be anonymous, but they believe it is important to tell and have the support of their parents to do so.
– Last semester I felt really bad about what happened and didn’t have the energy to spend time at school. At eight it was the worst, he was depressed. The teachers didn’t seem to take what we said seriously, says Rebecka.
She talks about how she has found comments about herself written on the school benches. Comments on your weight. The N-word. Earlier this year, photos of her and two other dark students from the school were posted on Snapchat.
– It said something like “what they had in common was that they were the n word,” says Matilda, 15 years old. We showed the video to a teacher, but for the most part they felt they thought it was a burden to have to take this in. .
– I reacted badly and I was sad, says Rebecka. I am glad to have friends who defend me. I have always felt that I was exaggerating, but I have realized that I was not.
Following the incident with the video, the school in late March routinely made a violation report to the Stockholm City Education Administration.
Severe weather
Both Rebecka and Matilda feel that the climate at school is generally harsh and that there are also homophobic and sexist comments.
– There is a long historical oppression at the base and there are students who take it badly. It is a harsh climate, it has normalized. The school says they try to do something about it, but then it just keeps going, Matilda says.
– Other students have told me that he hates men because I get involved. Rebecka is my friend and I feel a responsibility for her, I care about her. It would have been enough if at least one teacher had reacted.
Photo: BJÖRN LINDAHL
Rebecka says she has been the subject of racist comments at a school in south Stockholm for several years. In the end, one of her best friends, Matilda, had enough and enrolled in school.
Photo: Private
Faith, Rebecca’s mother, has also reported the school to the Swedish School Inspectorate, the Ombudsman for Children and Pupils, the Ombudsman Against Discrimination and the City of Stockholm. “I have a son in another school in the south of Stockholm, but I have not had the same experience or problems there. It is a school that is very integrated, ”he says.
“We have been and discussed this with the principals several times, but nothing happens. All the comments continue. When our friend decided to confront one of the bullies and called it the n word, the school reported it instead because” the bully “perceived the situation as a threat.”
From the enrollment of the students.
“The teacher says the n word”
This summer, Matilda and another friend of Rebecka decided to report the school to the Swedish School Inspectorate, the Ombudsman Against Discrimination, DO, the Ombudsman for Children and Pupils, BEO and the City of Stockholm.
– Discussions or thematic sessions on racism are not enough, says Matilda. At one point, when a student called Rebecka the n-word, she got very angry. But then she was reported to the security group. She became the culprit for the drama because the other student got scared when she told her about it and didn’t dare to come to school. Rebecka hasn’t wanted to come to school for six months …
– A week after the student called me the n-word, he came to school wearing a Black Lives Matter T-shirt, as if to make me believe he supports the movement. Then I confronted him, says Rebecka.
In the report, friends also write that even school teachers use the n word during lessons.
– They say the word n when they have to describe certain things historically, and they defend it by saying it for educational purposes. We have tried to talk to teachers about how we react when they say it. If even adults say the n-word, it helps normalize it, says Matilda.
Director: Don’t use the n word again
The principal learned of the discussions even before the school was announced this summer.
How do you react to the fact that students have tried to highlight that students have taken it badly, but without being heard?
– I think it has been used for educational purposes to show that development has progressed for the better in our society. However, when we were drawn to the student experience, we had a discussion at the university about how we can do it in other ways. Teachers will no longer use the n word as part of education in our business. This happened before the report came in.
“Our teacher said in the classroom” There is a big difference between saying a fucking fart and a fucking n word (and he used that word). She was right in what she said, but it is disgusting that she uses that word when there were students of African origin. ”
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“When we talked to that teacher, she said it was an educational purpose and then you can call it white. It would have gone just as well if I had just said the n word. When we tried to enlist the support of another teacher and talked to her in the dining room, she also said that word repeatedly. “
From the enrollment of the students.
Drawn swastikas
On her mobile phone, Matilda has several images of swastikas drawn and engraved. One on the school desk. On the sleeve of a lab coat. Someone tried to draw a swastika on the front of the school.
– It was a large swastika painted on a toilet seat, and it took about 1.5 years before the lid was put back. We try to erase and remove them, even the teachers have done it. They should think that this is a big problem in school and that, sadly, it goes in the direction that our society is heading. It is not enough to cross out a swastika and the problems disappear, says Matilda.
Aftonbladet shows several examples of images with swastikas for the director, who does not believe that racist graffiti is common in the venue.
– But when they do, it’s horrible. If we discover that there is a swastika engraved somewhere in the school, we will remove it immediately. Once it’s engraved, the caretaker goes and does another carving until we can grind it down. It is important that students help us by coming in and telling us when they see something similar so that we can remove it. – It sounds completely unreasonable that a swastika would have remained for 1.5 years.
Photo: Private
A swastika engraved on an outdoor table at the school since the end of August.
Photo: Private
Since then, the school’s swastika has been carved.
Photo: Private
Swastika drawn on a school locker in South Stockholm, image from early October.
Photo: Private
Swastika crossed on the facade of the school at the end of August.
“They sigh when we get up and say things like ‘what is it then?’ And ‘it’s you again’. This kind of attitude towards these problems is difficult and unpleasant for us. Teachers and principals always manage to turn every situation around as if it were somehow the fault of the vulnerable student. “
From the enrollment of the students.
Photo: BJÖRN LINDAHL
Matilda and Rebecka have been friends since preschool.
Photo: Private
“We try to erase and erase them, even the teachers have done it. They should think this is a big problem at school, ”says Matilda, 15, that there are swastikas at school.
Photo: Private
Swastika in a lab coat at school in South Stockholm since the beginning of October.
Matilda wants to defend her friend and what she thinks is right. She is also part of a gender equality group at school but says “we have to take shit because we stand up for things and say no.”
– It feels very difficult for the responsibility to fall on us. We don’t have the strength to take responsibility for anyone not saying something racist to anyone. If only there was an adult who dared to speak … but they don’t.
“We don’t know what else we can do to stop this. We’d like you to check our school. It would show that you do care about our friend and her well-being anyway.”
From the enrollment of the students.
“A failure”
According to the school principal, “we actively work against rape and bullying” and have clear routines. As if the staff always write a violation report that is sent to the school security group, the principal and the city of Stockholm.
The principal does not recognize himself in the image that students give on their application, but cannot comment on individual cases with students.
– First of all, I want to say that no one should have to experience such things. We take it very seriously.
– It is a pity that they feel that they have not been listened to, but we take the situation seriously. We protect our students’ right to a safe education. This applies to all of our students. But it is our failure when these students experience and describe their situation in this way.
LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW THE SCHOOL COMMENTS ABOUT ENROLLMENT AND SITUATION HERE.
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