2. PRESCHOOL/KINDERGARTEN
Daycare for children aged 1 to 5
A play based programe where focus is on social skills
and fun learning
The last year has more elements of «preschooling»
Opening hours vary from 9-10 (ap. 7-17)
Most of the day is spent outdoors – even in cold winters –
this reflects in Norway (outdoor life is very important and
Norway is not densely populated!) 14 pr. km (336 i Belgia
and 64 i Bulgaria)
80 % of oneyearolds and 90% of those who are two,
attend kindergarten – the percentage keeps rising as
they get older
3. PRIMARY SCHOOL
Age 6 – 12
We work together with the local kindergarten to find the best
start for every children (when there are disabled children we
start talking together two years in advance)
Parents must transport the children to kindergarten, but if they
live more then 2 km away from the school, they can sit on a
school bus (from the second grade 4km is the limit)
Schools in Norway are free and mandatory (kindergarten is
not)
The school year is form the middle of August till middle of June
(a holiday week in the autumn, Christmas and Easter)
There are no grades in primary school
One foreign language – English from grade 1
4. MIDDLE SCHOOL or LOWER SECONDARY
Age 13 – 16
They often go to another school – they tend to be
bigger
They get grades from 6 to 1 (6 is best)
No school fees – eveything is free
Two foreign languages – English is mandatory and the
choose German, Spanish, French …
A few weeks are spent outside school – the idea is that
the students can get to know professions that will help
them decide which schools to apply for after 16
5. UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL
Ages 17 – 20
Optional, but almost everyone starts there (but: there is a
tendancy to «school leaving» in upper secondary and
that often leads to unemployment and dependancy on
the wellfare state)
Vocational studies
8. MY SCHOOL
Nes (the name of my commune, municipality) primary
school
Ap. 240 pupils (from 6-13)
A headmaster(me), two inspectors and 27 teachers + 12
school assistants
In Norway you can work until you are 70, but the
normally retire and the age of 65-67 (you can leave at
62)
Nes is a small commune – only ap. 3500 inhabitants –
Norway has 430 communes and a total of 5.1 million
About 2700 schools (age 6-16) in Norway – the number is
declining (a tendancy to build larger schools)
