Every year, around 10,000 of the country’s young people go into service to defend Norway in peace, crisis and war. Several put a planned course of study on the shelf while they complete their military service. – We depend on motivated soldiers to have an operational defence. The additional points are important in the recruitment of new soldiers, says national trust representative in the Norwegian Armed Forces Trusteeship Scheme (TVO), Tord Kummeneje Eriksen. For many years, everyone who completes the initial service has received two additional points which they can take with them into the pot if they later apply for further education. But this compensation can be lost. Over ten thousand soldiers have to go on initial duty every year, and in the coming years there will be more. The shop stewards believe they must receive good compensation if the study credits disappear. Photo: Frederik Ringnes/Forsvaret / Frederik Ringnes/Forsvaret Johanne Røisli is a conscription soldier and departmental representative at the Maritime helicopter wing at Bardufoss. For Røisli and several of her fellow soldiers, the additional points are an important motivator during their initial service. – For many people who have a planned course of study and a career to look forward to, it is a great motivation to be able to complete the initial service with the credits you get at the other end, she says. Conscript soldier and shop steward Johanne Røisli believes an important motivator will be lost if the additional points are removed. Photo: Malin Straumsnes / news Will remove the point system for higher education An admissions committee was tasked in 2021 with conducting a comprehensive review and assessing the regulations for admission to universities and colleges. The aim is to develop a new and more forward-looking model for admission to higher studies. The admissions committee’s report is now being processed by the Ministry of Education. Among other things, it is proposed here to remove additional points, age points and gender points. This applies to everyone, including those performing their first service. – What I react to is that it is simply removed, and that no form of jamgood compensation is proposed as compensation. It is very important that you get the recognition you should have and deserve after having served the country for 12 to 18 months, says Eriksen. TVO’s national trust representative, Tord Kummeneje Eriksen, believes that good compensation must be in place if the points system is discontinued. Photo: Malin Straumsnes / news TVO was mentioned by name in the mandate for consultation, but the county trustee feels that the admissions committee chose to go against their recommendation. Among other things, TVO wanted to increase the number of study credits depending on how long a soldier serves. – This is a matter that deserves a public debate, because there are many people who are affected. There are approximately 10,000 in service each year. At the same time, there is a political promise to increase the number of first-timers, so it will influence even more people going forward, says Eriksen. Require full compensation – It’s about the recognition and knowing that you will be compensated for putting your plans and future on hold to do a service for the country, says Fride Haakenstad. She is the main shop steward for the Air Force and points out that conscription cannot be compared to, for example, folk high school, for which you also get additional points. Because while folk high school is something you choose, the first service is not a choice. – If you are going into the service for the first time, your motivation will be considerably higher if you know that you will leave the service with extra points that give you good conditions for your further career, says Haakenstad. Fride Haakenstad, chief shop steward in the Air Force, believes the soldiers must be recognized for having to put their studies on hold. Photo: Malin Straumsnes / news Although many of today’s conscripts are motivated to carry out their duty, there are also those who do not want to be there. For many of them, the additional points can be an extra important motivation. – The little recognition you get is very necessary and in its place. In the extreme, this could weaken the Armed Forces’ operational capability with less motivated and engaged soldiers, and nobody wants that, says Røisli. The soldiers are supported by the Chief of the Army, Lars Lervik. – The decision is political, but I believe we should have a principled discussion about the difference between what is based on a duty and what is something the individual chooses himself, says Lervik. He believes it is important to look at how to value those who have to do something on behalf of the community and who have no other choice but to pause their studies. – We would like to contribute to that discussion from the Army’s side, says Lervik. The Chief of the Army, Lars Lervik, believes that a discussion about how conscripts should be valued is in order. Photo: Fabian Ubeda – High time to clean it up – We believe the points system is not a good system, and that it rewards activities and purposes other than creating a good admissions system, says Marianne Aasen. She has led the admissions committee’s work, and says the current point system concerns a small group of students. Among other things, it will not be as relevant for those applying to vocational school or open studies. Therefore, the admissions committee believes that it is the diploma from upper secondary education that should be the basis for admission to higher education. – It is not a very clear system, now we are making it more clear, says Aasen. Just before Christmas last year, committee leader Marianne Aasen delivered the committee’s recommendation to Research and Higher Education Minister Ola Borten Moe (Sp). She emphasizes that the admissions committee is clear that they value the initial service. – That is why we think it is more appropriate that society finds other ways to reward the first service that hits everyone, regardless of which profession and education you will choose later, says Aasen. She goes on to say that it will be unfair if one of the few ways to get additional points is to do military service, as it is not open to everyone. Ultimately, the decision rests with the Ministry of Education. State Secretary Oddmund Løkensgard Hoel says it is high time to clean up a complicated admissions system. Photo: Ragne B. Lysaker – It is high time that we cleaned up what is today a very complicated system, and which over time has led to artificially high score limits on several educations. We cannot have it so that young people have to spend years taking up subjects and collecting points before they get started, says State Secretary Oddmund Løkensgard Hoel. He points out that it is important to make arrangements so that as many as possible get started quickly with education and further into work. – We have received many useful inputs in the consultation round, and it is orderly that we spend time assessing which adjustments we want to propose. In the spring, we will submit a report to the Storting with the government’s overall proposal for admission to the country’s universities and colleges. Everything is new, and the first days for the recruits are overwhelming. They must enjoy their free time in the room, because soon the gas arc awaits.
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Conscripts in their initial service may lose additional points – news Troms and Finnmark
