What is the problem and how can we solve it? School authorities’ perceptions of the shortage of teachers in Sweden

Abstract

AbstractThe lack of fully trained teachers is a national challenge in Sweden despite numerous attempts by authorities to approach the issue from a long-term perspective. The proportion of fully trained teachers needs to increase by just over 50% by 2035, and the imbalance will continue for many years to come. Many actors such as the media and politicians have participated in the debate, but not those who are significantly forced to handle, control, and lead in resolving the current situation and who have an overview of the problems at a structural level, namely, the school authorities (school authority in the school system according to the Education Act (Skollagen 2010: 800) can be a municipality, county council, state, or individual who is responsible for the activities in the school. In this text, the most responsible head of a municipality in the educational department has responded to the survey). This study covers 55 school authorities’ views on national tendencies and possibilities of solving this problem using an enactment policy theory. The empirical data are based on a web survey and analyzed through thematic content analysis. The result shows deep concerns about the accelerated problem, the challenges of finding fully trained teachers, and negative attitudes toward the profession. Possible solutions are higher salaries, flexible solutions to becoming teachers, higher status, and better working environments. The school authorities’ perceptions of possible solutions are to some extent consistent with ongoing political initiatives. Neither do they emphasize an overall picture of the working conditions for teachers, nor the far-reaching consequences of all political reforms. In summary, their actions are interpreted as quite re-active, nonlinear, and ad hoc solutions and less proactive perceptions and actions. This can possibly be explained by the fact that the state sets limits on economic initiatives.