Education in Norway

2998 primary and lower secondary schools• 615 927 pupils • 67 200 teachers • 13 941 teachers assistants

439 upper secondary schools • 190 8282 pupils• 25 348 teachers • 33 000 apprentices

Ministry of Education

Directorate of Education

County Governor

Municipality/

PPS

School / Kindergarden

Parents

Child/ pupil

National centres

Health- BUP- HABU

Universities

Statped - State resource centers

Which are the most important challenges of today?

• Increasing amount of special needs education• Almost 12 per cent receive special needs education

at 10th grade – while 4 per cent at 1th grade. The difference is a problem!

• The goals for each pupil not always clear/realistic• The measures and education strategies are arbitrary• Lack of evaluation of outcomes

Which are the most important challenges of today?

• Teachers do not always have the right qualifications to meet the needs of the pupil with SEN

• Non-existing terms and conditions for using assistants

(persons that are not teachers) in education

• Fragmented and not coordinated support systems at local and national level

Three goals for special needs education

Prevention and early intervention– turn the curve – more special education in early years. No ”career” in special needs education

Learning and development processes– special needs education- concrete goals, measures and evaluation of results

Inclusion– special needs education shall not lead to exclusion and discrimination

Official policy on inclusion• Inclusion - a fundamental principle and goal• Kindergarten and school of high quality; high

expectations to knowledge and skills for all • Schools actively to take into consideration

different conditions and abilities, both regarding organization of education and in pedagogy

• Education based on shared values and human rights

• Given the right conditions, inclusive education gives best learning outcome for all

Three strategic approaches

Cooperation and coordination– better completion

Target-oriented qualifications– improved learning outcome

Identify– follow up

SUPPORT SYSTEM I – The local educational and psychological counseling service (PPS)

• 2071,94 educational specialists including 220 psychologists

Main tasks:• Individual assessment and

support• Guidance given to schools with a

systemic approach to their challenges

SUPPORT SYSTEM II Statped - State resource centers

• 2013: one organization with 4 regional offices

• Consists of 11 centers with different areas of responsibilities

• Aims to cover a wide range of special needs competences

Three strategic approaches

Cooperation and coordination– better completion

Target-oriented qualifications– improved learning outcome

Identify– follow up

Learning together

A new regulation in the act of kindergardens

Stress that the adapted education must have

better quality

More research

Better information and In-service training

Challenges

To emphasize the importance of special

needs education in the kindergardens

Increasing percentage of special needs education

We need to know more about the effect of special

education

Lack of evaluation and outcomes of the pupils

with special educational needs

Identify– follow up

Learning together

New national center for learning environment

Reform of continuing education and training for

the PPT

Statped restructured into multidisciplinary regional

centers”One door in”

Challenges

Teachers want to learn more about learning

environment and adapted education

The educational and psychological counselling service (PPT) needs more

competence

The national support system (Statped) is

fragmented

Target-oriented qualifications– improved learning outcome

Learning together

Develop cooperation models

Poster for parents:Overview of current

rights and the importance of user involvment

Reduce the burden of written reports of

assessment for pupils with special educational

needs

Challenges

Better cooperation and coordination between

local and national level

Parents dont know their childrens rights - and

where they can get help and advise

Time consuming and red-tape in the special needs

education

Cooperation and coordination– better completion

Meld. St. 18(2010-2011)

Report to the Storting (white paper) Learning together

Summary in English:

www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/kd/dok/regpubl/stmeld/2010-2011/meld-st-18-2010-2011.html?id=665337

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