When the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr took place on March 20, it was clearly noticeable in Swedish schools. Although the day was not a public holiday, absenteeism was unusually high – especially in major cities and suburbs. At schools in Rosengård, around eight out of ten students were absent.
In Malmö, about one third of students in municipal primary schools were absent. Out of a total of 34,000 students, just over 11,000 were missing, according to figures from the municipality highlighted by Expressen. In Gothenburg, absenteeism was also significant, with about one in four students absent from lessons.
A similar pattern was seen in the Stockholm area. In Järfälla, nearly 2,000 out of 8,700 students were absent, while the corresponding figure in Botkyrka was about 2,500 out of 9,500. This can be compared to a normal school day, when approximately one in twenty students is usually absent, according to the National Agency for Education.
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In some schools, absenteeism was significantly higher than average. In both Malmö and Gothenburg, there were examples where up to seven out of ten students were missing.
In Malmö, schools in Rosengård topped the statistics, where Rosengårdsskolan 7–9 recorded an 84 percent absentee rate and Värner Rydénskolan around 80 percent. In Gothenburg, it was mainly schools in areas like Angered and Bergsjön that had the highest levels.
The background to the absenteeism is the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, one of Islam’s greatest holidays, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. This year, the holiday took place between March 20 and 22, and follows the Muslim lunar calendar, meaning it falls on different dates each year.
Liberal Sara Wettergren is the municipal councilor for schools in Malmö, and she believes the figures reflect the city’s current population composition.
– We have a very large Muslim population who celebrate Eid, regardless of whether they have fasted or not, she told Expressen.
According to the school law, students do not automatically have the right to leave for religious holidays that do not coincide with school breaks. However, principals can grant leave if there are special reasons, such as family celebrations or religious observances.