University of Gothenburg
Breadcrumb

School in grade 9 spring semester 2020

During March-June spring 2020, everyday life in Sweden changed due to the corona pandemic. It also had consequences for the students' everyday lives at school.

School absence

Most students have not missed school more than 10 days during the spring semester of 2020. Nearly one in ten students have been away from school for a month or longer.

Changing teaching during the spring semester 2020

The increase in assigned substitutes instead of regular staff were the most frequent changes in teaching during the spring semester of 2020. For one in five pupils, distance learning became much more common.

Cancelled national exams

A large majority of the students thought it was nice to avoid the stress associated with the national exams. A third of the students said they were worried about how the grades could be set without results from the national tests.

Distance learning in upper secondary school autumn term 2020

About half of the students in the UGU survey had distance-learning during the spring semester of 2020. Some schools continued to do so during the fall semester of 2020. For every other pupil, distance-learning was a new experience that they got familiar with in upper secondary school in December 2020.

The evaluation of distance-learning varies widely: one in three students think it has worked very well or quite well, while more than a third think it has worked poorly or very poorly.

Leisure during the pandemic

During the pandemic, students stated that they were spending more time on social media, TV, movies and series, and connecting with friends online. The least change has occurred in the time spent on socializing with those in the same household. Less time has been spent during the pandemic on exercising, gym or meeting friends.

Concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences

Students are the most worried about one of the parents or other loved ones getting sick with COVID-19 and about the healthcare system's ability to take care of everyone who needs care. They're not too worried about falling ill themselves. Girls are generally more worried than boys.

View of the future

Students feel more hopeful for the future of the world than for their own future. Boys are more positive about the future compared to girls.