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EDUCATION

Norwegian teens over the hump in global school rankings

Norwegian 15-year-olds have made clear improvements in the latest edition of the global Pisa education ranking.

Norwegian teens over the hump in global school rankings
Norwegian students are now above the OECD average in all three disciplines. Photo: Berit Roald / NTB scanpix
Norway’s students performed better in science, math and reading than they did three years ago, and are now above the OECD average in all three disciplines.
 
In the last Pisa rankings, released in 2013, Norwegian students were below average in both math and science, and only above average in reading.
 
In three years, Norwegian 15-year-olds increased by three points in science, five points in reading and one point in math. 
 
A total of 24 countries are above the OECD average in all three disciplines. 
 
Norway ranked 24th overall, ahead of countries like the US, Sweden, France, Russia and Spain. 
 
 
Singapore, Japan, Estonia, Taiwan and Finland topped the rankings, which tests 15-year-olds in 72 countries and territories. 
 
Norway is the third best Nordic country after Finland (5th) and Denmark (21st).
 
“On the right path”
“There are many indications that we are on the right path. We must thank the teachers and principals for the important work they do,” Education Minister Torbjørn Røe Isaksen said. 
 
In mathematics, Norway is among the countries with the greatest progress since the previous Pisa ranking. In science, the results have been stable since 2009, but there was a slight improvement compared to 2006.
 
But where Norwegian students really distinguish themselves is when it comes to reading. Norwegian teens are among the best in the entire OECD.
 
More details on Norway's Pisa performance can be see here:
 

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EDUCATION

Inquiry calls for free after-school care for 6-9 year-olds in Sweden

Children between ages 6-9 years should be allowed admittance to after-school recreation centers free of charge, according to a report submitted to Sweden’s Minister of Education Lotta Edholm (L).

Inquiry calls for free after-school care for 6-9 year-olds in Sweden

“If this reform is implemented, after-school recreation centers will be accessible to the children who may have the greatest need for the activities,” said Kerstin Andersson, who was appointed to lead a government inquiry into expanding access to after-school recreation by the former Social Democrat government. 

More than half a million primary- and middle-school-aged children spend a large part of their school days and holidays in after-school centres.

But the right to after-school care is not freely available to all children. In most municipalities, it is conditional on the parent’s occupational status of working or studying. Thus, attendance varies and is significantly lower in areas where unemployment is high and family finances weak.

In this context, the previous government formally began to inquire into expanding rights to leisure. The report was recently handed over to Sweden’s education minister, Lotta Edholm, on Monday.

Andersson proposed that after-school activities should be made available free of charge to all children between the ages of six and nine in the same way that preschool has been for children between the ages of three and five. This would mean that children whose parents are unemployed, on parental leave or long-term sick leave will no longer be excluded. 

“The biggest benefit is that after-school recreation centres will be made available to all children,” Andersson said. “Today, participation is highest in areas with very good conditions, while it is lower in sparsely populated areas and in areas with socio-economic challenges.” 

Enforcing this proposal could cause a need for about 10,200 more places in after-school centre, would cost the state just over half a billion kronor a year, and would require more adults to work in after-school centres. 

Andersson recommends recruiting staff more broadly, and not insisting that so many staff are specialised after-school activities teachers, or fritidspedagod

“The Education Act states that qualified teachers are responsible for teaching, but that other staff may participate,” Andersson said. “This is sometimes interpreted as meaning that other staff may be used, but preferably not’. We propose that recognition be given to so-called ‘other staff’, and that they should be given a clear role in the work.”

She suggested that people who have studied in the “children’s teaching and recreational programmes” at gymnasium level,  people who have studied recreational training, and social educators might be used. 

“People trained to work with children can contribute with many different skills. Right now, it might be an uncertain work situation for many who work for a few months while the employer is looking for qualified teachers”, Andersson said. 

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