News Sweden: No Scn school in Gothenburg

[Arbetet Ny Tid 26 February / 10 March 2000]

Summary of two articles in Arbetet Ny Tid (Gothenburg daily), 
Feb 26 2000, and March 10 2000:

----
Feb 26:

Scientologists want to start a private school in Gothenburg.  To this
end, they are applying for a city subsidy of 630,000 SEK [$ 72,000].
But both the chairman and the treasurer of the association have a
history of business failure, and owe the state more than 2.1 million
SEK [$ 240,000].

The scientologists are planning to open their school this fall, with
15 students in grades 1-3 [7-9 year olds].  Seven years from now they
expect to have 69 students in grades 1-5.  Applications have been made
to the City of Gothenburg, and the National School Board who make the
final decision.

Behind the application is the association 'Foreningen Aktiva Studier',
FAS ['The Association for Active Studies'].  All of its board members
are scientologists.  The school is to use a study method based on the
study technology created by founder of scientology, L. Ron Hubbard.

The National School Board has found insufficiencies in the
application, but has not yet made a decision.

The treasurer, Dan Rutstroem, formerly represented 'Stiftelsen
Smaforetagarframjandet' ['Foundation for Small Businessmen']  which
went bankrupt almost one year ago.  He owes over 2.1 million SEK to
the state in unpaid taxes, fees and fines.

Also the chairman of the association, Bengt Alvaang, is wanted by the
enforcement office for tax debts and fees amounting to 74,000 SEK [$
8,500].

When asked how having these debts agrees with being responsible for
the finances of a school, Alvaang says 'I haven't thought about that.'

He also says that the proposed budget where salary costs for teachers,
headmaster and administration have been put to 320,000 SEK [$36,000]
total, which is only enough to pay for a little more than one teacher,
is faulty.

- We will submit new figures.

However, Alvaang sticks to that student welfare should be handled
through voluntary work by the parents and their friends. 

- They will take on the role of advisors and work under a pledge of
secrecy.

----

March 10:

Gothenburg scientologists have put their school plans on ice.

Bengt Alvaang, chairman of FAS, confirms that their application has
been withdrawn.

- There comes a time when you have to put an end to things.  We will
need to reword our application.  There will be a new board behind it,
Bengt Alvaang says.

Both Alvaang and treasurer Dan Rutstroem will resign at the next
annual board meeting.

Last Thursday, the National School Board turned their application
down, due to board members being heavily in debt, and the
uncertainties regarding financing of the school.

- An anonymous sponsor has promised to contribute 220,000 SEK 
[$ 25,000] per year, says Jan Evertsson at the National School Board.

Evertsson is somewhat disappointed that the scientologists chose to
withdraw their application.

- I had looked forward to a court case. Now that will not happen.

Another question mark, apart from the board members, is the issue of
license money to the scientology movement.

In Denmark, a scientology school pays a license fee to Applied Scholastics foundation.

Jan Evertsson says that a similar agreement would be unthinkable in
Sweden.

- That would result in public money going to the scientology movement,
he says.

So how are the Gothenburg scientologists planning to pay the license
fee?

- I don't know for sure.  We are not going to pay tax money to Applied
Scholastics, says Bengt Alvaang.

- The parents will pay for using special study materials.

But he denies that it will be in the form of a school fee, which is
not allowed in Swedish basic schools.

- It will be money from voluntary sponsors, he says.

----------------

Comments:
Scientologists on-line web page for Bengt Alvaang:
http://myreligion.scientologist.net/bengtalvang/myself.htm

Dan Rutstroem:
http://www.our-home.org/danrutstrm/myself.htm

Both of them work at Silhouet Profil-analys, a recruitment
test/management consultant WISE company.
http://www.silhouet.se

Alvaang is one of the chief executives, according to
http://www.bizcontacts.se/search/dokument/silhouet.html

Rutstroem is in charge of testing at Silhouet, according to his own
page above.

There is already a scientology school in operation in Sweden, the 
Stockholm school Studema. That school does pay license fees to Applied
Scholastics, which makes Evertsson's statement above rather strange -
the National School Board did already accept this agreement regarding
the Studema school. But as far as I understand, there are some
strongly differing opinions in the National School Board when it comes
to how to deal with these matters...


Catarina

http://xenu.just.nu

==================================
"Love the truth, forgive mistakes"
(Voltaire)
==================================

From: <essle@hotmail.com>
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
Subject: Scientology school in Gothenburg, Sweden
Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2000 17:03:16 +0200
Message-ID: <MPG.142c5885ffa812b9989680@news.abc.se>

I realize that on a cosmic scale this might be regarded as a minor
problem, especially compared with Keith Hensons predicament et cetera.
But - the local city comissioners in Gothenburg have OK-ed some twenty
applications to start private (but publicly financed) schools, among them 
one that is supposed to use Applied Scholastics, i.e. Hubbardian mumbo-
jumbo.
The final decision will be made by the National School Authority 
(Skolverket in Swedish). They have zilch knowledge of $cientology. I have 
e-mailed them and informed them of the abuse of children and youths 
inherent in the $cientology dogma, directed them to among other sites 
www.taxexemptchildabuse.com but have little faith in them taking notice 
of one individuals opinions.
Anyone who feels he/she needs some vacation from posting in the 
everexpanding threads concerning U.S. events could e-mail them with 
relevant information at

        skolverket@skolverket.se

I am sure they will be able to understand English/German/French even if
the swedish school system has been undergoing some deterioration lately
:-)