Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

FAMILY

Malmö faces daycare shortage despite building ten new centres

Malmö is once again struggling to provide daycare places close to where families live, despite plans to open ten new kindergartens this year and the next.

Published: 19 March 2019 11:48 CET
Malmö faces daycare shortage despite building ten new centres
Toddlers in Sweden. File photo: Martin Svalander/Imagebank Sweden
The worst affected area is the Innerstaden neighbourhood, which stretches from the harbour right up to the edge of the district of Rosengård. 
 
Between January and March, only half of parents living in this area received a place for their children in one of the kindergartens they had asked for, and some children were placed more than three kilometres away from their home. 
 
“The reason is that there has been a large increase in the number of children in parts of the city which are already build, for example in the centre,”  Göran Ernström, head of Malmö's daycare department, told The Local. 
 
“It's obviously extremely hard to build new kindergartens where there aren't any free plots of ground, especially when you take into account the need to have outdoor spaces for a kindergarten.” 
 
He said that Malmö had built spaces for 5,000 children since his department was launched in 2013, half of which simply replaced spaces in kindergartens being shut down. 
 
“We have been forced to leave locations because many had only received temporary building permission and their time ran out.  We also had locations which were borrowed from the Primary Schools Department, which we have had to return one by one.” 
 
He said the department had been forced to build kindergartens in areas where they could find suitable plots, even if there were not many families with young children in the area, meaning travel times had increased for many parents. 
 
“We have been forced to build kindergartens in other parts of the town than those where the need is greatest, and that's the biggest reason that the geographical imbalance remains.” 
 
Olof Thalberg Adegran, who lives near Folkets Park in the Möllevången area, told state radio broadcaster SR that his daughter Selma had been placed in Fosie, around half an hour away by public transport.
 
Ernström stressed that the situation had improved from 2014 when some parents were not provided with a kindergarten place within the four months limit set by the government. 
 
 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

MALMÖ

How Eurovision visitors can make the most of Malmö

Malmö is not a particularly touristy city and it's easy to miss out on the best things the city has to offer if you don't know where to look. Here's The Local's guide to Sweden’s third largest city.

Published: 10 April 2024 09:37 CEST
Updated: 7 May 2024 20:41 CEST
How Eurovision visitors can make the most of Malmö

How do I get around?

Cycling is by far the easiest way to get around Malmö, and cycling around the city on a sunny day is a great way to get to know the city. Malmö is very flat and with over 500 kilometres of bike paths criss-crossing the city, you’re often able to get to your destination faster by bike than by car or public transport.

If you’ve booked a hotel, you might be able to borrow a bike from the lobby, otherwise you can rent one from the city’s Malmö by Bike service – it costs 80 kronor for 24 hours, 165 kronor for 72 hours or 250 kronor for a full year.

Coming over from Copenhagen? You can even buy a bike ticket and bring it over with you on the train.

Can’t cycle or just don’t fancy it? Local transport company Skånetrafiken has launched a special eight day ticket for May 5th-12th, costing 350 kronor for all of Skåne (the region Malmö is in) or 700 kronor for Skåne and Copenhagen, and covering buses and trains. That’s available on their Skånetrafiken app (Google Play or Apple) until May 12th. 

You can also buy single bus or train tickets within Malmö for 31 kronor in the app, online or by tapping your payment card on the city’s buses. Two people travelling together get a 25 percent discount if you buy in the app, online or from a ticket machine.

What is there to see and do in Malmö? 

Coming to Malmö as a tourist, it’s easy to be underwhelmed, especially if you don’t stray from the main shopping street.

It’s a small city, relatively speaking, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do. 

In terms of tourist sights, there are a few museums. Malmö Museum is southern Sweden’s largest museum, although it’s technically three museums in one: Malmöhus castle, which was built back when Skåne was part of Denmark, the Malmö Konstmuseum art museum, and the technology and maritime museum Teknikens- och sjöfartens hus.

Tickets are also relatively cheap: 100 kronor for adults if you want to visit all three museums, or 60 kronor if you only want to visit one (the castle and art museum are in the same building, so a single 60 kronor ticket grants you access to both). Under-19s go free.

Malmö is also home to art gallery Malmö Konsthall, which has free entry, as well as an interactive workshop with activities for kids. The gallery houses restaurant Smak, which offers modern New Nordic-style lunches for around 160 kronor. Don’t get this confused with Moderna Museet, the city’s modern art gallery. This is also worth a visit, but be aware that you’ll have to buy a ticket – although having said that they’re only 50 kronor for adults. They also have a café which serves Danish-style smørrebrød.

There is also be an Abba museum in the city until May 13th, where fans can celebrate the 50 year anniversary of the band winning the contest with Waterloo. 

What about food?

The best thing to do in Malmö, however, is to just eat your way around the city. There are people from over 180 different nationalities living in Malmö, which is reflected in the food scene. 

Fancy authentic Sichuan food? Try Kina Restaurang Sichuan on Amiralsgatan (order off the Sichuan section of their á la carte menu). Ethiopian or Eritrean food? Zula or Enjera on Ystadsgatan. British pies? Marvin near Davidshall. You get the picture – just go for a wander around the Möllevången neighbourhood (head east from Triangeln station) and you should find somewhere good and reasonably priced. 

There are also more upmarket restaurants in Malmö if that’s more what you fancy – there are some suggestions in this article.

Looking for somewhere to go for a drink? Here’s a list of some budget-friendly bars, and here are a few craft beer spots (which have pretty good food, too). The city’s also home to some great wine bars and cocktail bars. We even have great coffee – Lilla Kafferosteriet and Solde both roast their own beans.

You don’t have to go far to find interesting neighbourhoods in Malmö, just venture slightly outside the centre, away from Lilla Torg and the main shopping streets, Södergatan and Södra Förstadsgatan. Try Davidshall for good food and interesting shops, Möllevången (also known as Möllan) for bars, restaurants and nightlife, or why not head down to the beach at Ribersborg?

SHOW COMMENTS