The matter in summary The county administration in Innlandet has submitted a proposal to close several schools. The proposal faces opposition from students and local communities. The county council director believes the changes will lead to savings of almost NOK one billion over a 10-year period. The county politicians will discuss and process the proposal, with a final decision in the county council on 23 October. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. There was great excitement about what the county director would present on Friday. On Friday at 1 p.m., the proposal for a new school and provision structure in Innlandet was presented. These are proposed to be closed: Skarnes and Dokka upper secondary schools As well as the Nordstumoen schools at Storsteigen upper secondary school, Dombås and Lom at Nord-Gudbrandsdal upper secondary school and Flisa at Solør upper secondary school. In addition, several changes have been proposed to the offers at several schools. Students: – Bad day Eivind Maurstad Husom is student council leader at Nord-Gudbrandsdal school, Lom department. – This has been a very painful day. We have been prepared for this to happen, especially when it is based on incorrect figures. And this is ethically worrisome, especially for those of my fellow students who have physical and psychological challenges and adapted teaching here, says Husom. STUDENT COUNCIL LEADER: Eivind Maurstad Husom says that the students in Lom were very upset after the message came. Photo: Even Lusæter / news Department manager in Lom, Tor Olav Mundal, says that there were strong reactions when they made the announcement known on Friday morning in a general meeting. – It didn’t come as a complete surprise, but it’s still quite tough to get it in black and white. The employees were crying, while others were very angry. It has been a very tough day for us in Lom, says Mundal. CAN BE CLOSED: The case of the closure of upper secondary schools in the interior has attracted a lot of interest. Here from a public action in Lom this spring. Photo: Even Lusæter / news Nor is the student council at Dokka upper secondary school impressed by the message that came on Friday. – This is terrible for us who go to school and bad for our local community, says Sunniva Ludvigsen, leader of the student council. Together with her friend Linnea Slettum, they believe that even though the school is small, it is just the right size. Now many people from Dokka risk having to travel long distances by bus to school, and the two girls fear that this will lead to much greater dropouts from school and greater alienation. SAD: Linnea Slettum and Sunniva Ludvigsen from the student council at Dokka upper secondary school fear long bus journeys. Photo: Stine Bækkelien / news Shall save money The county council director writes in the proposal that maintaining the current school and provision structure will mean poorer finances and tighter frameworks for all the upper secondary schools in the interior. – In the proposal that is now being presented, we estimate that the operating costs in a 10-year period will be almost NOK one billion lower than if the current structure is maintained. It will hopefully contribute to us being able to maintain a good level of services for students and that the framework for school operations does not become so tight that it is difficult to maintain acceptable quality of the educational offer, said Bamrud when he presented the proposal on Friday. This is the position from the county administration Fears many will have to go to dormitories The mayor of Lom municipality, Kristian Frisvold, reacts with disbelief to the proposal. – I think the whole process has been untidy and unprofessionally handled. It seems as if the county mayor has made up his mind in advance. If Lom upper secondary school is closed, it means a lot for the local community, says Frisvold. He points out that the students will have to travel a long way and many will have to move to dormitories. – Figures from the working group in Skjåk show that we will not save money by closing the school in Lom. Quite the contrary. That’s why I ask big questions about the rationale for closing down Lom, says Frisvold. REACTS: Mayor of Lom municipality, Kristian Frisvold, reacts strongly to the proposal that came on Friday. Photo: Even Lusæther / news Has delivered over 2,000 signatures Leader of the action group to keep Skarne’s upper secondary school, Grethe Karlsen, is disappointed after the proposal was put forward. – The school is so important for the whole community here. We will fight on. We sent 2,000 signatures to the hearing, they must take that into account. I am convinced that the school will pass, says Karlsen. PROPOSED TO BE CLOSED: Skarnes upper secondary school is proposed to be closed. Grethe Karlsen in the Folkegruppa “Let Skarne’s high school continue” reacts to this. Photo: Ann-Kristin Mo / news – To be centralized at all costs One of the others who reacted strongly is a postdoctoral fellow at the children’s and youth clinic at Haukeland University Hospital, Hanna Flækøy Skjåkødegård from Skjåk. She has fought hard to keep Lom upper secondary school and is constantly considering whether she and her family should move home to Skjåk from Bergen or not. – Research and facts show that Lom upper secondary school has the right to life, but the county wants it differently. Here, it must be centralized at whatever cost, says Skjåkødegård. Now the county politicians will discuss and process the proposal, before the question will finally be decided in the county council on 23 October. The Labor Party, the Conservative Party and the Green Party have a majority in the county council with 30 out of 57 representatives. As early as Saturday, much of the guidance can be submitted for further consideration when the Inland Labor Party will meet to discuss the matter in the representative council. The school site Nordstumoen in Stor-Elvdal provides round-the-clock provision for 27 students with a need for specially adapted training, within the education programs of natural management, restaurant and food subjects, and technology and industrial subjects. Photo: Geir Olav Slåen / news County mayor: – Difficult case County mayor in Inlandet, Thomas Breen (Ap), says that there were no big surprises in the proposal that came on Friday. – It is a matter of large sums and it is not like we are saving that money. The state is not going to give the money because of a drop in pupils, says Breen. The process will now move into political consideration. – It is a difficult case and it means a lot to those who are affected, says Breen. These are the important dates. On Friday 4 October at 1 p.m., the county administration will submit its proposal for a new school and provision structure in Innlandet. On Saturday 5 October, the representative council of the Interior Labor Party will have a meeting. On Wednesday 16 October, the matter will be dealt with in the main committee for education. On Friday 18 October, the matter will be heard in the county committee. On Wednesday 23 October, the matter will finally be heard in the county council. Source: Innlandet County Municipality Published 04.10.2024, at 13.05 Updated 04.10.2024, at 16.57
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Will close six secondary schools – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
