Værøy school is closed early and often. This time it’s because the classrooms are freezing. Municipal director in Værøy municipality, Erling Sandnes says that the heat at the school went off at the weekend. According to him, the technical agency in the island municipality will get the temperature up again. Værøy is an island municipality located 43 km west of the mainland on Lofoten. Only 688 inhabitants live in the municipality. Photo: Jossemio But pupils and parents think it is not enough. They say the problem has lasted much longer than before the weekend. And there are many more problems than cold rooms. The students say they haven’t had gym or swimming for five years. And there is a teacher shortage. It’s not the first time it’s happened, Elvira Persen (14) says that the ventilation system or the heaters don’t work. When she sat down at her desk on Monday morning, it was 11 degrees in the classroom. – Even though I still had a jacket on, it was very cold, says Persen. Elvira Persen is part of the youth council in the municipality. Nevertheless, she does not feel heard about problems at school. Photo: Oda Stine Hansen Viken / news But it is not the first time this has happened, according to the 14-year-old. Several times in the past they have struggled with either cold classrooms or bad air. – It naturally disrupts the teaching. – The air has been bad for many years. The cold really started last week, says classmate Dina Jacobsen and adds: – It’s nice to have time off, but it can’t last like this for long. We have things to do. The problems in Værøy are by no means unique. news has previously referred to a report from Multiconsult. There, the conclusion was that it could cost almost NOK 100 billion to correct the deficiencies in Norwegian school buildings. A crisis within a crisis But it’s not just cold classrooms that are a problem for the rivers on Værøy. It is also a problem that there are not enough people to fill the classrooms. There is a teacher shortage. – Before, the teachers worked overtime. Now they are not allowed to do that by the politicians anymore. Then there are several hours a week when we don’t get to go to school, says 10th grader Elvira Persen. Neither Elvira Persen, Emma Torstensen nor David Mortsensen will move back after graduation if things continue as they are now. Photo: Oda Stine Hansen Viken / news Medelev David Aleksander Mortensen (15) says that he has chosen German as a foreign language, but has to take it as an online course at another school. Teacher Anette Sebine Christensen says that the teachers who worked more than their job description last year didn’t get paid more either, before the Education Association pointed the finger at the municipal management. According to her, the school still lacks a third of the teachers they need. – It is unsustainable. We try our best to stretch ourselves. But you don’t go home with a good feeling, she says. Anette Sebine Christensen has sent in a notice to the politicians for not handling recruitment in the municipality in a good enough way. Photo: Oda Stine Hansen Viken / news And that’s not all. The problem still looms large. – We haven’t had a gymnasium or swimming in five years either. If the weather is too bad, we will be sent home. Then we can’t have a gym, says Emma Torstensen, who is also in the 10th grade. The youth school has been under renovation and was promised to be finished several years ago. Therefore, the pupils have not had gym or swimming and are still missing half of their school garden. Assistant and teacher Assistant Elisabeth Persen had to open the hall to the congregation so that the 10th graders could have a warm place to have Class Quiz with news on Monday morning. – It’s not funny, but this is our everyday life, says Persen. She says that she knows of several families with children who are considering moving. Elisabeth Persen is an assistant at Værøy school, in addition to being a church servant and opening bells for the pupils when the classroom was too cold. Photo: Oda Stine Hansen Viken / news Teacher Christensen also thinks enough is enough. It was she who found the thermometer in the science room and measured the temperature in the classroom on Monday morning. – The school is not a storage place. The students are here to be educated, she says. Christensen says that they have tried to tell the managers that the indoor climate is not sustainable. Then she was instead told to storm off by the politicians. Værøy school is located in the middle of the main island on the island community of Værøy. Photo: Oda Stine Viken / news Now she has sent in a notice. She hopes that means that the politicians can add more enticements to make the school better for recruitment. – There is frustration because you feel that you are not enough. Jill Arntsen is a politician in the opposition for KrF. But she is also a parent. She believes the crisis at the school has more consequences than the municipal management is aware of. – In small communities, we wear many hats. Municipal director: – A bit hasty in sending them home On Friday, the politicians had an extraordinary municipal council meeting. But the students don’t think they came up with anything. Then they say that the school had already been cold for a week. – It shows how little the politicians care about the school and the pupils. It affects everyone. It’s not good, says Jacobsen. The students Elvira Persen, David Mortsensen and Emma Torstensen believe that the politicians in the municipality do not care about them and their problems. Photo: Oda Stine Viken / news Erling Sandnes, municipal director of Værøy, says that it was a mistake that the heat went off at the weekend, and that it should not be like this. According to him, it is the first time it has been so cold at school. – I think they were a little quick to send them home. It was hot where the first class was, at SFO and in the multi-purpose hall, he says to news. The reason that there are problems with both temperature and ventilation, and that the pupils have not had swimming lessons in the last couple of years, is about the renovation of the school, says Sandnes. Erling Sandnes, municipal director at Værøy says the school will get a new principal on Wednesday. I hope he gets better. It is the fourth rector in four years. – It is clear that being the headmaster of a school, regardless of choir, is a demanding job. In small communities you are left standing very much alone. Photo: Oda Stine Hansen Viken / news – Why has it taken so long to finish renovating the school? – Out here, it is a challenge to get professionals. Then not everything will be done at once, says the municipal director and adds that storm ventilation has been a solution for several buildings that are not working. Also at the town hall. – What do you think about the fact that the students do not feel that problems at school are taken seriously? – I understand that everyone wants the school to be a good place to be, he says. The municipal director says that they spend money on advertising teaching positions on social media, for example, but that there are hardly any employees in the entire municipal sector. There must be a change The pupils have raised their problems at a meeting of the youth council. Nevertheless, they do not have much hope that anything will be done. Classmate Elvira Persen says something has to happen, if, for example, she will move back after graduating. – If it continues as it is now, I have no desire to come back. There has been so much going on with the school. I don’t want my children to experience the same. Published 23/09/2024, at 17.13 Updated 24.09.2024, at 07.53
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Værøy school in Lofoten is closed due to low temperatures in the classroom – news Nordland
