Education in Norway

2 Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research

The system - Responsibilities

• Ministry of Education (MoE) - policy, legislation, budget

• MoE -6- Departments - Department of Education and training: The 13-year Education and Training system (primary schools, upper secondary Ed. & Training and Adults rights basic education

• Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training (the executive agency for MoE and responsible for implementing the policy and the development of Primary and Sec. Ed.& Training

• Counties and Municipalities as school owners are responsible to follow up requirements in Education Act and regulations. To have a system for assessing according the requirements (including initial VET) – and a system to follow up the results of these assessments

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A good Starting Point

• Well-developed education system • Good accessibility • Formal rights for children, young people and

adults • Competent professionals • No significant financial barriers. Society is

willing to spend a lot of resources on education

• Norwegian pupils are happy at school

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Aspects that must be dealt with - Challenges:

• to ensure that all learners actually learn what they need

• One out of four 15 year-olds leave compulsory school with inadequate basic skills

• One out of four pupils discontinue upper secondary education/training and leave without formal qualifications

• More than 400,000 adults have poor skills in reading and arithmetic

• Low expectations of pupils’ achievements in subjects

• Low motivation for efforts in school subjects• Unrest in classes and groups

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Policy Initiatives

• White Paper no. 30 (2003-2004) Culture for learning (Knowledge Promotion)

• White Paper no. 16 (2006-2007) “…and no-one was left behind”

Early Measures for Lifelong Learning

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The Objectives of the White Paper “…and no-one was left behind”

• To make it possible for everyone to acquire the competence they need to create a good life - Nobody is to complete compulsory education without having acquired basic skills

- Everyone is to have documented qualifications from upper secondary education/training -Those who need it must be allowed a new chance to acquire basic skills as adults

• Social equalisation - The likelihood of succeeding must not be

linked to family background

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Knowledge Promotion

• New Reform in Primary, Lower Secondary and Upper Secondary Education and Training.

• New curricula and a new structure introduced August 2006

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New Curriculum consists of three parts:

a) Core Curriculum

b) Quality Framework

c) Subject Curricula

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Core Curriculum

• Constitutes the binding foundation and values for primary, secondary, upper sec. and adult education and training

• The Norwegian Parliament (Storting) gave it’s full consent to the Core Curriculum in 1993.

• When the reform- Knowledge Promotion was discussed in Parliament 2004 there were still consensus in keeping up the above principles laid down in the Core Curriculum

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The Quality Framework:

• States the responsibility for schools and training establishments to organize and adapt the teacing and learning processes for the purpose of developing broad competences for pupils and apprentices

• Key Competences (Lisbon strategy) are integrated into the Quality Framework i.e:-Learning Strategies (learning to learn)-Social Competences-Cultural Competences-Motivation for learning -Pupil participation

These competences will not be assessed bymarks.

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Basic skills* – integrated into all subjects from grade one:

Basic skills are cross curricular skills/subjectcurricula independent

• The ability to express oneself orally• The ability to read• The ability to do arithmetic• The ability to express oneself in writing• The ability to use digital tools

But- when integrated in all subject curricula – consequently – subject curricula dependent

*Basic skills- part of Lisbon strategy

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New subject curricula

• Ministry issues regulations on the number of periods for each subject (a prescribed minimum) which each pupil is entitled, and which the school is required to provide

• More flexibility - the opportunity to dispose up to 25 % of the time allocated for the subject

• Objectives for pupils’ competence (learning outcome) after 2nd, 4th, and 10th grade (stage) and after every stage in upper sec. education & training

• Continuity and coherence in learning outcomes • Local freedom in how to organize and adapt the teaching

and learning, i.e. freedom of methods• Possible to undergo a test or exam in all subjects and

courses without being a pupil/student • Possible to obtain a Craft or Journeyman’s certificate

without being an apprentice

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Knowledge Promotion

• Marks will qualify for entering Upper Secondary

• Upper Secondary – 12 Programmes- 3 Academic Education Programmes- 9 Vocational Education Programmes

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Policy strategic plans

• Competence for Development• Programme for Digital Competence• Make Room for Reading!• A Joint Promotion of Mathematics, Science and

Technology (MST) • Equal Education in Practice• See the Opportunities and Make them Work• Languages Open Doors• The Learning Environment in Schools and

Training Establishments

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Transparency and involvement indecision processes:

Involvement of Stakeholders – Social Partners (tripartite principle in

vocational education and training)– Teachers’ Associations – Pupils’ Association– School Owners – Parents and Pupils – Research institutions– Civil Society/National Debates