The lights of diligence shine bright in the Simonsland premises in Borås, where about fifty students gather every Sunday to study math. Small groups of four to five students receive help from their coaches—students themselves at upper secondary school or university—to work through what was difficult to grasp in class during the past week. The teaching is always based on the material the students use in school. Today, more than a staggering 22% of those starting ninth grade do not have a passing grade in mathematics and are at high risk of finishing compulsory school without being eligible for upper secondary education. In Borås municipality, that equals nearly 250 students! An unacceptably high figure that risks undermining Sweden’s competitiveness and causing us to fall behind as a nation in terms of skills and innovation. It also creates a group of young people who end up socially excluded—never good for the individual or society.
Destination Gymnasiet is a local initiative in Borås that helps exactly these students—young people, mainly in ninth grade, who risk failing math and thus losing eligibility for upper secondary school, but who, with the right support, have the potential to succeed. The help is free for students, and the organization is fully funded by local supporting companies. Unlike regular homework help, the teaching takes place in premises outside the school and on Sundays instead of right after school hours.
-The student leaves their original school environment and the identity they have there. With us, they meet others from different parts of Borås who are all in the same situation and get a completely different context, explains Åsa Molander, founder and head of Destination Gymnasiet. Everyone who comes to us shares the same goal, and our approach gives us good conditions to strengthen students’ self-esteem, confidence, and motivation—the things needed to succeed.
And that’s what drives Åsa—giving students the chance to succeed and seeing them do it. Around 97–98% of students achieve at least a passing grade in math, though the goal is, of course, for all to succeed. This school year, the organization is helping about 50 students; in previous years, they’ve had as many as 70. The number of students depends on resources, and the number of supporting companies is crucial.
Noah Röstlund and Hanad Mohammed are in ninth grade and both had failing grades in math in eighth grade. After one term with Destination Gymnasiet, both have now achieved passing grades and are aiming even higher.
- Math is going so much better now that I come here, and I’ve already raised my grade, says Noah. Getting this help for a year is really good for me, and I have to make the most of this opportunity!
- I’ve also raised my grade from an F and now I’m trying to get even higher, says Hanad. It’s thanks to the help I get on Sundays that I’ve managed this. My coach is really good and explains so I understand. Math is fun now—I didn’t think so before.
Alicia Gustavsson and Kira Älverbrandt are now in upper secondary school. Alicia studies Social Sciences and wants to become a police officer. Kira studies Health & Social Care, dreaming of becoming a paramedic. Dreams that, they both agree, would have been crushed without “Destination,” as they call it.
- Without Destination, I would have gotten an F in math, says Alicia. Here, I could sit with my coach and ask again and again until I understood. She really wanted to help me! I never had to feel stupid. Succeeding at something I couldn’t do before really boosted my self-esteem. I even got higher grades in other subjects—maybe because we learned study techniques here that I could use.
- Yes, it was such a relief to come here, get help, and ask anything, adds Kira. After Sunday math, you felt proud of yourself. Plus, in math class at school, I kept up much better—I didn’t sit there clueless. Getting a passing final grade was the best thing of all. It would never have happened without Destination!
Speed has supported Destination Gymnasiet since its start in 2014 and is an important part of our social sustainability work. We’ve helped hundreds of young people toward a brighter future and, in doing so, strengthened competitiveness through skills—something crucial for us as an employer and of utmost importance for society as a whole.