Teachers claimed that athletes won Olympic gold "with God's help" - school criticized

The School Inspectorate requires the principal of an independent primary school with a Christian profile in the Stockholm area to remedy a number of deficiencies in teaching. The authority emphasizes in its decision that teaching must rest on a scientific basis. If the order is not followed, there may be sanctions, which News Agency Siren was the first to report.

The decision is based on an inspection carried out by the School Inspectorate in the spring of 2026. Pupils, teachers and principals have been interviewed. In addition, the authority has observed several lessons.

During a lesson, a teacher showed a video of British athlete and missionary Eric Liddell who won an Olympic gold in Paris in 1924. According to the teacher, he ran extra fast in the last 200 meters of a 400 meter race with God's help. When the principal was interviewed, it turned out that she did not know that the material is used in teaching.

When the School Inspectorate observed a history lesson, the students asked questions about the age of the earth. The teacher then replied "if the scholars dispute that". In a follow-up interview, the investigator repeated the formulation. The teacher then confirmed his statement and stated "yes, but they do that, don't they?".

The School Inspectorate states that the teacher has given an incorrect picture of the state of knowledge in science in a matter where there is a clear scientific consensus. The principal, in his capacity as the principal's representative, has called the teacher's wording unfortunate.

Furthermore, it is pointed out that several students have told that the expression "WWJD" ("What Would Jesus Do?" - What would Jesus do?) was presented during a lesson as a model for how the students should act.

The measures that the School Inspectorate calls for must be implemented and reported by January next year at the latest.

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