Åtgärdsprogrammet  is a punk band that was formed by four teachers in 2013. Nice music and important lyrics is probably the thing for the group. Rickard is the one who has answered the questions one day in November 2024.

As I understood, you were four teachers who formed a punkband, tell me are you at the same school or is it just that you are all teachers?

-In 2013 we all worked as teachers at the same school in Gothenburg and inside the teacher's room Gustaf sat bent over an Action Program while I ranted that we should use the music hall and play punk. Gustaf answered, yes and we should be called Åtgärdsprgrammet)(Action Program). 

Why a punk band exactly?

-This is a very good question that doesn't really have a good answer except that it just happened that way. Me and Gustaf decided to form the band. Jerker and Erik were fairly new colleagues at the school so first we asked Jerker and there was a short discussion about who should play bass, because both Jerker and Gustaf wanted to do that. Jerker drew the longest straw because he actually owned a bass. The first time we only rehearsed as a trio but after hearing Erik shout "Stad i ljus" at a staff party we made a try with him. Luckily it worked because otherwise it could have been a really boring psychosocial work environment.  After a few years together, there is actually an alternative answer as well. In retrospect, after we have written songs and worked with the band, the answer to the question could also be that music in many ways has become less and less apolitical. Punk (and punks) have to some extent grown up, got an education and a family which has made punk now go from being a rebellious youth thing to rather being a kind of nostalgic middle-aged thing. So in Åtgärdsprorammets narrative, it is us adults/teachers who revolt against the youth/students with the help of the rebellious music punk. Add to that the fact that we mix it all up with a large portion of good old authority in line with Caligula in Hets. 

You are going to get a female counsellor on board now too, is it to talk it out with or will it be a new member... tell us?

-Our counsellor Judith is there for several reasons. The main reason is to take care of the keyboard when we play live and thus she becomes the sixth member, because we should not forget that our constant companion Overhead is present at every gig so that we can project our lyrics. Judith has not yet had to act as a counselor for us and most likely she will have to deal with the audience's problems rather than ours. And she can also report to the social services. By the way, my dream is that during a tour we will be able to bring a caretaker who takes care of the sound and cleans the drain in the barn. All guards must wear vests. 

How did the students react when you started the band?

-Our opinion is that the students who are familiar with Åtgärdsprogrammet actually think it's quite fun. At our last gig at Skeppet here in Gothenburg, it was a pretty big bunch that was at the front.

Do you only play at schools or do you play at other places as well? 

-So far, we have actually never played at a school. A couple of times we have played for graduating students at their graduation, more as a thank you and goodbye than a regular gig. In addition to that, we have played on trucks, at the Academy of Music and Drama and out on a venue. What we strive for is not really some regular gigs where we just rip off our songs, but we want to make more of an event. At Skeppet GBG we organized a Class Party with punk, poetry and school disco. Before Lucia we have tried to get a Lucia night where we had planned to offer our Christmas carols with a boys' choir. When that didn't work, we tried a Christmas party. Right now we are talking a lot about trying to get an APT. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to take part in alternating punk with results from employee surveys, bar graphs and beehives where all sorts of meaningless questions are discussed?

Tell us a little about the content of your songs, is it only school related or how is it?

-It's 100% school-related. And we have so much material for new songs. Each and every one of us in the band has been through a whole plethora of more or less completely incredible experiences that can be written about. The lyrics in the songs always deal with something that is experienced and we try to write it out in a humorous way without it being too silly. One theme we have is, for example, writing lyrics about the various ministers of education together with a specific dance - Björklund Boogie, Lotta Lambada or Fridolin Fandango. Unfortunately, we have a lot to dwell on so that's why we also write weekly newsletters on FB. The action plan is also a kind of fictitious independent school where we mix the very worst from the authoritarian school with the very worst from the liberal school.

Choose a few songs and tell us about each song?

-Åtgärdsprogram - This is our title song and also the first song. It was, and is, a disconsolate task to write action plans for students. Putting a diagnosis stamp in a document and writing out measures that in many cases you will never ever help. In that frustration, as a teacher you sometimes wish it was just so simple that you could tell the student to sit down, focus and be completely silent. The Swedish school's over-reliance on various documents and that the systematic quality work will solve something is nothing short of inconsolable. 

Ung, curlad och kränkt - The song is our way of cranking a little towards all anxious, spoiled and easily offended students. It's really amazing what situations can arise around, for example, a gingerbread costume or the fact that you have to perform to get a good grade. 

Hjälp till självhjälp - This song is about something that is not only quite common in school but in society at large, which is that instead of getting help from someone, you should be given the tools to help yourself. For many years, the answer to all problems in schools has been digitalization. It was common to simply help students with different difficulties to help themselves by giving them an iPad. And we now know how it went...

Finally, I would like to highlight a song that we will release shortly 

Thaimout - Within the school, there is a large percentage of parents who are more than happy to go out and travel with their children. Preferably in the middle of the semester. According to the Education Act, however, special reasons are required to get leave, which is rarely met. This makes for completely unreasonably funny situations. In the public debate in 2024, that particular long trip to Thailand (3-6 months) has been in focus after it was discovered that the Swedish school in Koh-Lanta or wherever the hell it is now everyone goes, is not up to standard. Thus, many have had their leave applications rejected. There have been many upset parents who have been snubbed by their Thaimout.

You haven't released any physical record, why not?

-The short answer is that no one has really shown any great interest in it and we have probably been too stingy to push anything ourselves. 

Wouldn't it be nice to see the record printed and pressed and to hold it in your hand?

-Of course it would have been. So if there is anyone reading this and who wants to collaborate with us to make a physical release, just get in touch. 

By the way, how did the other teachers react?

-Most have actually just laughed and been positive. However, I suspect that there are probably some who are jealous of how much fun we have. 

Isn't the next step to get the principal involved in this as well?

-The fact is that I am already the principal. I have worked as a principal since 2016. This fact makes it all even more fun and from time to time we spin on it. If there is a gig in the disguise of a Christmas party, the principal will of course give a speech.

What do you call your music? School punk or what?

-We alternate between school punk and teacher punk. I think both work pretty well. 

Åtgärdsprogrammet, where did the name come from?

-As I answered earlier, it only appeared in the middle of a conversation. We still think it's an absolutely brilliant name. 

There are too few bands on Å, is there any other bands on Å that you know?

-Not that I can think of like that straight up and down. However, there is a band called Tjänstemännen, which is a gang that assumes that they work at the Social Insurance Agency. It's also a great band name. They have a song called "Samma skjorta som igår" which according to me is one of the best song titles there is.

Is there any good bands in Sweden right now?

-Yes there are a lot of good bands here in Sweden. Even if we play punk we of course listen to everything. I like of course almost all old Swedish punk, everything has its charm in some way. Since I'm the one answering the questions in this interview, I'm still going to highlight Kite. Absolutely incredible! And if I have to choose a punkband it has to be Skithuvve. Especially the song "Gröt är också mat".

By the way, what kind of teacher are you?

-I will answer the question in two different ways. On the one hand, we are the type of teacher who teaches Swedish and art, music, maths and science as well as art and social science, and on the other hand, we are the type of teacher who actually tries to navigate in an increasingly strained school climate. It's fucking tough to work at a school on so many levels, but at the same time it must be said that it's also incredibly fun and rewarding.

How do you think schools are run in Sweden today?

-The short and infantile answer is that it is handled badly. Some things are so bad that I get a lack of oxygen in my brain. The slightly more thoughtful answer is that the school suffers from a fundamental system flaw that is politically difficult to deal with because it would mean that you would have to admit that you have made mistakes. Not a bit like that, we missed to close the freezer properly so now we have to defrost, but more Karolinska-style; Forgot to turn on this relay so now all those cancer samples that we have saved for 30 years are useless and 50 years of research are to hell. It is about the independent school reform, the introduction of a goal-oriented school, to some extent municipalisation, about teacher education and about how various higher education institutions have been allowed to conduct research on pedagogy and didactics that has proven to be completely useless. We are expected to work on the basis of scientific basis and proven experience. However, it is damn difficult to do the former when the scientific basis is often made up of a thin November ice. For almost 30 years, teachers have been fed that the reason for the poor results in school is that there is a lack of systematics, that teachers and principals must become better at this. Year in and year out, it continues. During the last year of the headmaster's education, I asked the question bluntly; Can anyone highlight a single thing in the systematic quality work in recent years that has led to improved results in school? After that, the atmosphere was a bit pressed at the mud cake for the afternoon coffee.

Politically otherwise in Sweden today, do you dare or are you allowed to take a political stand as a teacher?

-We are expected and should be impartial in the performance of our duties, which I dare say we largely are. What we do privately or in our band is something completely different. From time to time, situations also arise that are not about politics but are of a more universal humanitarian nature, and then it is at least my opinion that we must do what is necessary. In 2016, during the refugee crisis, I myself took a stand and criticized the Migration Agency. For this, I was reported to the Parliamentary Ombudsman and subsequently also, quite correctly, was criticized. What many missed, however, was to read this criticism which simply states that I had every right to criticize the Migration Agency, but it was the procedure itself that violated the Local Government Act's principle of objectivity and impartiality. With this, I simply want to say that no one wants teachers (or principals or other school staff) who stand and impose their political beliefs on children and young people, this can be done in another forum. But human rights are supposed to be safeguarded after all, and then there is obviously at least one political party in parliament that more or less seems to compromise on those principles.

Who writes the songs or do you help each other?

-We write a lot together but we still have to highlight our guitarist and music teacher Gustaf who stands for a little more than the rest of us when it comes to arranging the music. 

You have just done three new songs, tell us about these? –

We have three new songs, Thaimout, Lotta Lambada and the somewhat amazing SKA-systematiskt kvalitetsarbete in just ska-tempo. I have already told you about Thaimout. Lotta Lambada is a song about our current Minister of Education and is simply the world's first punk lambada. It's not available on Spotify yet but can be enjoyed on Youtube. SKA is a song that we submitted to Melodifestivalen and as soon as this has been rejected, which we of course expect, we will release it.

What are the future plans for the band?

-We hope to get out and play, entertain and educate. Since we work hard at our regular jobs, it would have been nice to get some traction around premises/venues. In addition to this, we continue to hang out, have fun and write new punk songs. 

Words of wisdom?

-It must be: sit down, focus, be completely silent!

Something to add?

-Yes actually. To all readers, I and Åtgärdsprogrammet want to encourage everyone to put away all the fucking social media and read. Read for yourself, read aloud to your children, and force them to read. Today, there are students who have a vocabulary of 6000 words, while another student has a vocabulary of 20,000 words. There is quite a lot of variation as you understand. One of the very best ways to learn new words is to read. Apart from that, both I and the rest of the gang in Åtgärdsprogrammet want to thank you for allowing us to be here.