Only 38.5 percent of students at Ängelholm School in Helsingborg can apply to high school
Only 38.5 percent of ninth-graders at Ängelholm School in Helsingborg meet the eligibility criteria to apply for upper secondary school. This figure is far below the national average of around 85 percent. The school faces challenges with low grades in core subjects like Swedish, mathematics, and English.
Ängelholm School in Helsingborg has been reported to have an alarmingly low proportion of students meeting the goals to proceed to high school. According to the Swedish National Agency for Education's statistics for the spring term of 2023, only 38.5 percent of the school's 260 ninth-graders met the requirements. To be eligible, students need passing grades in Swedish or Swedish as a second language, English, mathematics, and at least nine other subjects.
The school's principal, Anna Svensson, comments on the situation: "We are aware of the challenges we face and are working intensively to improve teaching and support for the students." The school has had similar issues in previous years, with the proportion of eligible students around 40 percent, placing it among the lowest performing in Skåne.
The background to the low results is believed to partly stem from socioeconomic factors in the area, where many students come from disadvantaged environments. The City of Helsingborg has initiated support measures, including extra resources to the school, but the effects are not yet visible in the figures. Nationally, the proportion of eligible students has steadily increased, from 74 percent in 2010 to 85 percent in 2023, according to the Swedish National Agency for Education.
Students and parents express concern. One student says: "It feels like we don't get enough help to pass the tests." The school's management emphasizes the importance of long-term efforts to reverse the trend and ensure better opportunities for the students.