What happened
Stockholms stad has decided to move the students from Bromstensskolan to Hjulsta grundskola for two years starting in the summer of 2027, when their regular premises will be renovated. Around 500 students are affected, and the majority will take the bus the just over three kilometers to Hjulsta, accompanied by the school's own staff. The decision was made by the education committee in the spring but only reached guardians during the fall. Several parents in Bromsten are protesting the decision, demanding temporary portable classrooms locally instead due to concerns about the children's safety and quiet study environment. Both Liberalerna and Sverigedemokraterna have announced that they want to stop the move to Hjulsta.
Our analysis
When children from Järva travel to schools in the inner city, it is called integration. When children from residential areas in Spånga are to travel three kilometers to Hjulsta, it is called a crisis. The fierce reaction shows how normalized suspicion toward areas where many new Swedes live has become.
Liberalerna and Sverigedemokraterna are quick to capitalize politically on the parents' protests. Instead of seeing a practical solution with vacant premises in the local area, the politicians reinforce the image of Järva as a place where the safety of other children cannot be guaranteed. The message to the students and teachers at Hjulsta grundskola is harsh: your school is not even good enough as a temporary evacuation site for children from Bromsten.
Segregation in Stockholm is not just about where people live or how much they earn. It is also built on the idea that native Swedes should not have to set foot in the suburbs. When the buses for once are set to roll in the other direction, the political defense kicks in immediately.
Explained
An evacuation school is a temporary school building where students are taught while their regular school is being rebuilt or renovated.