Angels do exist!
Respect and status. Two words The Angels at Hjulsta School hear – every day. A lot of people want the cool job, but only a few pass the test.
“A lot of people are jealous; they want to be angels, too. But not everyone gets to be one,” says Ynus Gavgacioglu, 15, and looks proud.
A gang of noisy angels runs about Hjulsta School, which is just outside of Stockholm. They talk and joke, just like everyone else. But all the while their eyes and ears are wide open – to see if someone is lonely, frightened or left out. But also to stop conflicts as they happen.
The badge of the angels is a dark blue jacket with a pair of yellow wings printed on the back. Abey Abraham explains why he was chosen to be an angel:
“I’m a good person. I show everyone respect. And I’m calm.” It’s true. He looks relaxed and makes a calm and secure impression. Among the school’s 300 pupils there are 20 angels, as many girls as boys. GLÖD met four of the angels, three boys and a girl: Nora, Abey, Ynus Gavgacioglu and Nabil Laamiri, all aged 15.
A SPECIAL SCHOOL
They tell us that there are almost 50 nationalities at the school. That no one pupil is like the other. This makes the school very special.
“There is no bullying here,” says Nora. Since everyone is so different, there is a special atmosphere. It’s the pupils who make the school special.”
If a friend is teased or has no one to be with, an angel soon shows up and does something about it. One way the angels can get others to want to be with someone who has been left out is by starting to spend time with him or her themselves.
“They look up to us. When others see angels spending time with them, they want to join in, too,” Ynus explains.
At Hjulsta School, pupils learn to be proud of themselves and their friends. Here, it’s never cool to be tough or mean. Hassling someone because of the way they look, dress or anything else is very square.
The role of angel has made better people of Nora, Nabil, Ynus and Abey. They take everything they learn with them into their lives. It will also show up on their grade transcripts.
“Once an angel, always an angel,” says Nora, and the others agree.
Facts about the angels
– selected pupils who act as support for schoolmates.
– supposed to be role models, prevent fighting, discover bullying and support and help schoolmates, especially the ones in weaker positions.
– are chosen by teachers and pupils; must be able to cooperate; need to be brave, mature, aware of themselves and able to lead.
– must take a three-day training course.
– must respect confidentiality