25.08.2010 - Oslo

FrP's Better Education Formula in Norway

Progress Party (FrP) proposed measures for a competetive education in Norway. They think improvement of the teachers' status and the introduction of grading system from the fifth grade are essential.

Photo : Jens Rötzsch | In the first year of primary school, the students are mostly playing educational games, learning social structures, learning the alphabet, basic addition and subtraction, and basic English skills. No official grades are given at this level, however, the teacher often writes a comment/analysis and sometimes an unofficial grade on tests.

The party's education policy spokesperson, Mette Hanekam Haug, presented their ten steps to get a good education system in Norway. She said that the school will be the most important election issue for the Progress Party before the municipal elections in the next fall.

She calimed that the Norwegian schools fail to provide adequate skills and many children graduate from primary school without sufficient reading and writing skills and pointed out the high drop out rates at high schools.

- Do we secure Norway's competitiveness in the future, the school must give priority to basic science. We need more math and less musical education, "said Haug.

Progress Party spokesperson presented 10 points of her party's municipal political committees for improving the education. Prioritization of math, Norwegian and science, and the appointment of head teachers on fixed term form the foundation of the Progress Party's education policy toward local elections in 2011.

More math and reading

Haug noted that Norway is among the countries which spend most money on schools, but results from international surveys show the return of such huge expense is not successfull.

- 20 percent of students leave school without being able to read and write properly. Nearly one of each three pupils does not complete high school. These issues are our priorities and FrP will do something through strengthening education in math, science and Norwegian, and ensure the students to get an education that is appropriate to their level, "says Hanekam Haug.

Evaluate Principlas

- We know that good school leadership is crucial in functioning of schools and how much students learn. Therefore , we believe that head teachers should be appointed for a fixed term. When they know that their efforts will be evaluated , they will be more interested in developing their schools, "said Mette Hanekam Haug.

Here are the Progress Party's 10 points:

1. Prioritize basic sciences

2. Increase teacher status

3. Hiring principals for a fixed term

4. Mapping the professional level before, and provide individual support

5. Introduce teacher education at master level

6. Introduce free school choice

7. Introduce grading from fifth grade

8. Repair the school buildings

9. Deal with bullying

10. Recover School discipline

- The school has become a socialist experiment. It is necessary to stake out a new course before it's too late, concluded Hanekam Haug.

FrP/NTB