Skellefteå is growing and there is a great need for English-language education.
Skellefteå is growing and there is a great demand for teaching in English. Currently, only the International English School conducts English-language teaching at primary school level in the municipality. But IES has reached their maximum capacity and Northvolt has therefore sent a request to Skellefteå municipality to start a new English-language program.
"Children's development and safety always come first, and if we as a company cannot guarantee places at English-language schools, long and advanced recruitment processes can go awry," wrote Magnus Ljunghäll, HR manager at Northvolt in a letter to the municipality.
The proposal is that Floraskolan should be expanded with an English-language program starting in the autumn of 2023. On Wednesday, the pre-primary and primary school committee agreed.
– Floraskolan is close to the large industrial establishments and is therefore a good place for this investment. In addition, we do not want to create an isolated island for foreign students, so it is good that they can go to school together with other Skellefte residents, says Fredrik Stenberg (S), chairman of the preschool and primary school board.
The program must follow the Swedish curriculum. Up to half of the teaching must be given in English. This form of education is both for families who settle in the municipality for a limited period of time and for those who intend to establish themselves here.
–It feels great that we will soon be able to welcome international students to Floraskolan. This is positive both for the students and for the staff in view of the lessons learned and the exchange that it will entail, says Nicklas Brorsson, principal at Floraskolan in a press release.
Nicklas Brorsson, principal of Floraskolan
The planning and recruitment work for the start of the semester has now begun. Since it is difficult to know how many students will attend the program, the costs are difficult to calculate, but Floraskolan initially expects an increased annual cost of 2.5 million kronor.
- It is a relatively large expense, but we have had to weigh this against the benefit. We believe that a program like this is needed so that more people can move to Skellefteå, says Stenberg.