– It’s a relief. Now we can meet the holiday with a good feeling and start preparing like everyone else. This is what Monica Lindgren says about the decision in the case which was considered by the appeals committee in Agder county municipality on Thursday. On Wednesday, news told about the daughter Malin Lindgren (15), who was denied free school choice because she has Down syndrome. She lives in Vennesla municipality, but wants to go to high school in the neighboring municipality Kristiansand. While the classmates at the upper secondary school can choose from several schools in Agder, Malin had to go to school in her home village. The argument from the county was transportation. The parents complained, and on Thursday they were told that they had won. – I am very happy and very grateful that they have taken note of the complaint. Now Malin can go where we think is best for her, Lindgren says. Thought the offer in the home municipality was just as good. There is free school choice within the county you live in, but for Malin that was not the case. She wanted to go on the everyday life line at one of the upper secondary schools in Kristiansand, where she has good friends. There is also a different scheme than in Vennesla. The county thought that the offer with the same name in the home municipality was just as good. Lindgren did not agree. – It is far from the same. It is like comparing a study in sports with a study in music, she told news on Wednesday. Here, Malin received support from the State Administrator, who thought the county had to make a new professional assessment of the offer. Malin now gets to go to school with her friends. Photo: Kjetil Samuelsen / news – A very good news The case of Malin has upset. Among those who have become involved is Freddy de Ruiter in the “Council for people with disabilities”. He is also active in the Autism Society. Today he is happy on Malin’s behalf. – This was very good news. He says it means a lot that someone goes ahead and reports discrimination. – I think that free school choice must apply to everyone, and then it is important to have an extra look at the individual. We must ask how we can arrange for as many young people as possible to have the best possible school day. De Ruiter says he wants to take with him Malin’s experiences in the work of the council, and try and contribute to the regulations being changed. The Conservatives in Agder will also take action, confirms group leader Torunn Ostad. – It is incredibly nice that they were upheld in their complaint, but this case shows that we have to take up the intake regulations again. Fortunately for Malin, she has been involved in a pre-admission which means that she has the right to complain, but not all students have that. We must also look at that, she says. The intake regulations in Agder must be revised. Photo: Kjetil Samuelsen / news County Director for Education in Agder, Arly Hauge, says that the change has taken place after the Appeals Board has assessed a larger whole, and on the basis that they have received some advice from the State Administrator. – And after an overall assessment, we saw that there was a basis for changing the decision that was made earlier, he says. Mom Monica Lindgren says they have fought for Malin. She hopes they have fought for others as well.
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The county has turned around – now Malin still has to choose a school – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio
