“Comaea is always on hand when a question or problem arises.
You always get fast service and a positive and personal treatment.”
– Emma Berggren, HR Specialist, Kunskapsskolan
The system has given us a new sense of security.
When the new law on teacher certification was introduced, Excel was no longer enough. So in 2012, Kunskapsskolan decided to acquire Comaea’s system in order to be able to get an overview of its educational resources.
We needed a method to be able to follow exactly what teacher competencies we had at each school. An important reason why everyone has confidence in the system is that it is now possible to coordinate with the Swedish National Agency for Education, with their formal skills and requirements, says Emma Berggren, who was involved in introducing the method and is still one of the main responsible people at the school group’s HR department.
A survey of employees can be sensitive, as every HR manager who has encountered the question “what are you going to do with all this information about me?” knows? But here it was easy to launch the system precisely because of the requirement for a teacher’s license, the benefit was so obvious to everyone.
There was never any suspicion. “Eligibility” has also been complicated by the current shortage of teachers, says Emma Berggren, who brings up another form of possible mistrust:
Of course, we are aware of the debate surrounding independent schools. And I think that the criticism can sometimes be too sweeping – then it’s very good to know exactly what our own skills are. All activities are documented in the system, all basic facts, constantly updated. In that sense, the system has been a clear win for us, it has simply given us a great deal of security.
We are constantly working to develop our organization and we are now looking at expanding the survey with more elective skills in the form of training and experience for employees other than teachers. Right now, for example, we are looking for knowledge of Arabic and Somali.
Another example from everyday life is to discover teachers who may be missing a few credits to be able to obtain a teaching license and then take the initiative so that the person can supplement.
Emma Berggren also emphasizes how the quality of performance appraisals and other discussions with employees has been improved. In the past, they were documented on paper in various binders here and there, now they are secured in the system with goals and plans and follow-ups. She also sees a sense of security in the fact that Comaea is always on hand when a question or problem arises.
You always get fast service and a positive and personal treatment.