There has been a big storm in the municipal school in Kalix. A new way of working, where pupils are held by their wrists, among other things, has made parents go through the roof.

SVT has examined how it happened when the procurement and the agreement between Kalix municipality and Skolkonsulterna AB was written.

In April this year, the agreement was signed and it was Head of School Charlotte Sundqvist and the company's Susanne Norman who signed the contract.

– They have worked successfully to get home-sitters back to school, writes Charlotte Sundqvist in an email.

"Have no dealings with the consultants"

In the same email, the Head of School writes that they chose to directly procure the services offered by Skolkonsulterna AB.

This was because the company offered the right needs and because the Swedish Schools Inspectorate was the reference.

– But we have no connection with these consultants in any way, says Mårten Petersson at the Swedish Schools Inspectorate.

Ended three years before the agreement

The person listed as the Swedish Schools Inspectorate's referent ended his employment with the authority in 2020 – two and a half years before the procurement in Kalix.

– They probably collaborated in Botkyrka municipality during an assignment we had there, says Mårten Petersson and continues:

"I don't know anything about this method and I have no idea how to work.

The Head of School backs down

When SVT calls the head of school the day after she sent the email, she backs down.

"Then there has been a mistake. I have not used the authority as a reference. I have always believed that the person we have used as a reference worked at the Swedish Schools Inspectorate and was at the same time at Storvretskolan as Susanne Norman (the consultant) when this method was used.

But that's not what you've written to us?

– Yes, but at the time when Susanne used her method at Storvretskolan, he worked at the Swedish Schools Inspectorate and it is him we have contacted, says Sundqvist.

Listen to Skolinspektionen's Mårten Petersson about the reference management in the clip.