Title: A Culture School’s (”En Kulturskolas”) work in an multicultural area

This research is a study of Culture Schools in Angered which include both Lärjedalens and Gunnareds Culture Schools. The Culture Schools of today reach only a limited part of our society, and for this reason the purpose of this research has been to study a school in a multicultural area. To learn from others’ experiences is an important step in work with school development. This study will give me better knowledge to further develop the Culture Schools’ efforts to reach a greater part of the society.

The aim of this study is to search for and identify factors which have lead to success in Angered’s Culture Schools, specifically opportunities and/or obstacles that are characteristic in the teachers and the school leaders daily work and what developments are needed to better meet our multicultural society.

This research was carried out through qualitative interviews in which three teachers and four school leaders discussed their views on these research questions. The result of this research shows that the most determining factor in the Culture Schools’ ability to reach all children in the society is the collaboration between the Culture Schools and the mainstream schools, as well as the motivation of the teachers within the Culture Schools. The main obstacles identified in the study were: lack of finances; lack of classroom availability; large class sizes; teachers’ workloads and class divisions found in the society. The opportunities identified in the study were the Culture Schools’ ability to work with integration and the creative enthusiasm shown by the teachers. The future developments needed according to the study are for Angered Culture Schools to continue their work in reaching all children in the society; to develop better contact with parents and to learn more about development work in the school system as a whole. Angered’s Culture Schools are also continuing to develop the festival “Cho La Hop” that has given them status and respect in the society and will work to reduce the above mentioned obstacles.