Danger Money: Sweden to Pay Teachers Extra to Work in ‘No Go Zones’

The Swedish government has passed new measures to increase pay for teachers working in “vulnerable areas” to attract them to areas often referred to as “no-go zones”.

Teachers working in these “vulnerable areas” will receive a monthly increase of 10,000 Swedish krona (£848/$1,077) per month, doubling the previous amount of 5,000 SEK, Swedish broadcaster Sveriges Radio reports.

Roger Haddad, school spokesman for the Swedish Liberals, argued that the measures were important, saying, “we must once again increase the proportion of qualified teachers and we must attract the best teachers to these areas.”

A total of 111 teachers are said to benefit from the fund, which had previously been allocated around 16 million SEK per year. The new move will see the total amount allocated rise to 42 million SEK per year.

Some in the teaching profession, however, are not certain the new measures will attract qualified teachers to the no-go zones.

Mats Jonsson, the principal at Grindtorpsskolan school in Alby, said he was not sure the extra money would do anything more to motivate the teachers who already get 5,000 SEK, saying the teachers already do a good job — but hoped that the reforms could be a positive for recruiting future teachers.

Schools in no-go zones often see poorer scholastic performances among pupils than those in areas with less crime and unemployment.

A report last year showed that in the notorious Stockholm suburb of Rinkeby, one school saw nearly half of the pupils unqualified to even enter high school, with local parents admitting they were looking to send their children to school in other areas.

Another major problem in Swedish schools has been a rise in violence both among pupils and directed at teaching staff. A survey released last year revealed that 70 per cent of Swedish municipalities have either installed security cameras or even hired security guards to deal with the violence.

Independent Swedish journalist Joakim Lamotte has claimed that many teachers across the country have simply “surrendered” to the violence.

“Threats, beatings, and stabbings now occur every day in Swedish schools and it increases dramatically. At the same time, teachers are getting less power while authorities and politicians are completely paralysed,” he said.

Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com