GUWonder

I’ll try to find out more after the peak vacation period is over in the country.

Sweden did go to remote learning for some groups of kids during part of the pandemic. The country also had policies in at least some places that were very disruptive to young kids being able to attend school like normal during the pandemic — and that too while they were having lousy remote learning practices in place for the various kids told by the school and health authorities (or their personnel) to not go to school as much as they would otherwise have gone if it were not for the pandemic-period policies and practices thrust upon them by Swedish authorities and their personnel. It’s quite an unlevel playing field when some kids with more runny noses are more excluded from learning from their Swedish teachers than other kids.

Critical self-assessment is not a Swedish forte. Sub-critical, self-reassurance — whether or not in the face of being objectively right or wrong on a point — is usually more the order of the day in the country.

It’s going to be interesting to see how the country deals with the monkeypox situation and how the response is similar or different to its Covid-19 response.

nacho

I doubt that anyone would say it's bad to close schools at least in public, and the government was super proud with this narrative. The teacher's union had some opinion pages (so that the magazine is not liable for their opinions) in their magazine saying the government should close schools. If you are interested it would be an idea to look at their magazines to see if they published anything: lararen.se

I was there in the first term in 2020. My kids said the mood of the whole school changed. I have teachers friends and they were terrified to go to work.

In 2021 there are more cases in schools and it's up the the kommun to decide if schools should allow kids to stay home. I know Lund was sending out letter in 2020 to tell parents that they will get a fine if they keep their children home. In 2021 the kommun had a different policy that students tested positive had to be isolated.

CPH-Flyer

I did ccme across a couple of those opinion pieces. And needed to dig in a bit more. In those. Interesting points, thank you.

CPH-Flyer

Don't go too much out of your way, only if you have something handy. Or you anyway feel it worth digging into.

GUWonder

I’m curious about such matters myself too.

There were some Riskdag inquiries, but I don’t recall them being focused on the mandatory educational system and educational attainment outcomes as relates to its pandemic practices being different than elsewhere. It may be a place to get started on this too.

I’m already set to not be surprised if it turns out that Sweden did no better by its primary school children during the pandemic than its neighbors and then see the usual suspects try to blame the results on Sweden’s “humanitarian superpower” legacy.

nacho

I think it's in the opinion corridor that it's the right thing to do to keep schools open. I seriously doubt that anyone will tell you the opposite.

There are a lot of issues in the school system in Sweden from dagis to grundskola to university and the pandemic doesn't help. One former teacher told me schools in Sweden are like parking garage to park your children there while parents are at work/study etc.

The main reason for opening schools is to prevent kids from hanging on the street and to make sure they get a hot lunch (back then the food was so disgusting now my kids are still traumatized by the smell of butter chicken - I actually like it but they all said it smells like Swedish school lunch and all the bad memories). Malmö stand was trying to sell leftover school food and I was thinking even if it's free I wouldn't want it. I think they must have realized and I can see the menu contains better dishes.

Those underprivileged children will always find a way to hang around in the street whether the school is open or closed. Even if they don't show up at the school would the school bother to go after their parents who can't afford the fine anyway. Like my friend said, "the government is only after well functioning families that don't follow the opinion corridor and are different from Sven Svenssons and have an income that's high enough to afford fines"

GUWonder

So as vacations get wrapped up and coughing in Sweden starts to become increasingly prevalent again on public transport, Sweden goes back to ramping up border control checks for those arriving into Malmo on the trains from CPH during the busy commuter hours. What a wasteful dog and pony show.

Fredrik74

Don't forget it's election season. The Social Democrats are pretending they're the Sweden Democrats this time so they need to be tough on immigration.

GUWonder

Yes, this can play as a dog and pony show for Val 2022. Covid-19 won't materially impact the Val 2022 outcome, but scoring own-goals on this kind of stuff is going to cost them more than scoring own-goals on Covid-19.

Sort of ironic that Sweden wants to play from the Danish book this time around.

CPH-Flyer

I guess Sweden is coming to the same point as Denmark, it is about hanging on to your seat, not what you actually believe in and am supposed to represent?

GUWonder

Unlike with Covid-19, it’s borrowing from the Danish playbook this time.

“If you stand for nothing, Burr, what will you fall for?” may have more of a play in Sweden than in Denmark.

CPH-Flyer

I am afraid that the modern election equivalent is "If you stand for nothing, you don't have to fall for anything"

nacho

They both have SD as their initials

Immigration? I thought the main topics of this election would be elbrist (lead to multiple municipalities had to turn away businesses because they don't have enough electricity supply), high electricity prices, healthcare and crime.

I think Covid-19 is not really a topic in this election because the opinion is that it's over. I doubt any politician will bring that up because every single parliament member was responsible for the high death tolls.

Fredrik74

I agree that energy will be a big question but it's not in the Social Democrats' interest to talk about it...

nacho

It is mission impossible: Elbrist is not caused by lack of supply as Sweden is the biggest exporter of electricity in Europe. Which party dares to come up with a plan to renew all the grid?

SD wants nuclear plants, and it's a good solution for back up when the renewables are not reliable, but building one takes 15 years and I wonder which kommun would be happy to host a nuclear plant.