It was on 23 October that it was decided that six schools and schools in the interior will be closed from next autumn. A narrow majority, with the Labor Party, Høgre and the Green Party, decided to close the secondary schools at Dokka, Lom, Dombås, Flisa, Skarnes and Sønsterud. The opposition has announced that they would file a formal complaint against the decision and demand a legality check. On Friday afternoon, it was handed in to Innlandet County Council – within the deadline of three weeks. The students cling to hope for a little while longer. Photo: Frode Meskau / news The county council will now assess the complaint, but if they uphold the decision, the case will go on to the ministry. They can revoke the decision if it is considered invalid. – The school issue is not well enough informed, neither against the economic and social consequences nor assessments of the best interests of the children, says Anne Lise Fredlund, group leader for the Socialist Left Party. – The deficiencies in the case are so serious and extensive that we will ask for a legality check. The county mayor of Innlandet County Municipality, Thomas Breen, has not read the complaint, but is not surprised. – It is very predictable what they come up with, and I believe that the case is well informed on all aspects. I think there is no basis for a complaint, but we will of course take the complaint seriously and deal with it formally, says Breen. The county mayor must make an assessment together with the administration about what they should do. – There is probably no basis for an extraordinary meeting, and the complaint will come close to the next county council meeting, which is in December, says Breen. Read the entire response to the county mayor further down in the article. Six schools and schools in Innlandet will be closed, the county council decided on 23 October. Seven parties united about the complaint In the complaint that has been submitted, the seven parties from the opposition, the Center Party, the Socialist Left Party, the Pensioners Party, the Red Party, the Liberal Party, the Industrial and Business Party, and the Christian People’s Party refer to the Constitution, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Education Act, the Municipal Act and the Equality and the discrimination act. The Progress Party is not involved in the complaint. – Assessments of the children’s best interests have been made after the proposal itself and have not been part of the basis. There is a significant weakness in the basis of the case and, in addition, time has been particularly short, says Fredlund. County mayor Breen believes the matter and the best interests of the children are well informed. – We must follow the Municipal Act in such processes and I think we have done that here. The county council had good enough grounds to make a decision, and the best interests of the children were especially highlighted in the last committee and before the county council, says Breen. Anne Lise Fredlund (SV) is critical of the basis for the decision. Photo: Dag Kessel / news In the document, which has been submitted to the county council, they indicate that the basis of the case that led to the decision has such major flaws that the decision must be considered invalid and revoked. – The case was not sufficiently resolved before a decision was made. This is a breach of the Municipal Act, says Fredlund. Both the county council and the ministry can decide on suspensive effect, meaning that the decision cannot come into force until the complaint has been processed. The opposition believes that the implementation of the decision entails a delay in the legality check. Photo: Reidar Gregersen / news The most important points in the complaint Regardless of the outcome of the legality check, the opposition believes that an assessment must be submitted as to whether the decision was practically easy to implement with the time frame set. In the document submitted together with the formal complaint, there are several points that list what they believe to be major shortcomings in the decision. Some of the most important points, according to the opposition, are: Implementing a decision, which will have consequences for over 700 students and 200 employees, next autumn is both unrealistic and irresponsible. There is a lack of plans for school and taxi transport, dormitory/boarding and services for vulnerable pupils. The economic consequences are unclear. Young people have been little involved and have not had enough participation. Big questions and doubts about the basis of figures. It is doubtful whether there is enough space for the pupils in the schools and enough dormitories. Over 500 hearing recordings have not been commented on or assessed. Alternative training models with business are not anchored with the industry itself. Critical to the number basis and the finances Some of what has often been highlighted in the school case is the number basis on students and how the number of students has been calculated. – Mistrust has been created in the number basis and the decline for pupils is not as great as is claimed, says Fredlund. A little hope for both the teachers and the pupils at the threatened secondary schools. Photo: Frode Meskau / news They point out in their complaint that the 4,186 people in Inlandet who are now 16 years old were 3,577 people 16 years ago according to Statistics Norway – Many are critical of the number, and there is a big shortage for the case that the critical comments to the speech have not been considered, says Fredlund. In addition to the numerical basis, the opposition is particularly critical of the unclear cost picture. – What will it cost to build and operate boarding/housing facilities in Våler, Otta and Vinstra? Based on the costs of dormitories in Våler, it will cost a minimum of NOK 450 million to build new boarding schools, says Fredlund. The opposition thinks they are missing the point – The basis of figures we use is the same as municipalities and county councils use around the country. It is these numbers that are sent to the Directorate of Education. It is based on the actual pupils counted each autumn. I think the story is well explained in the case, says Breen. He believes the opposition misses the criticism. – I can hardly take the memory number seriously. Do you think we should contact the business community before a decision is made? And do you think we should build dormitories before we have a definite structure? The sequence must be correct, says Breen. He fires back at the opposition and believes that the position is taking responsibility. – The minority will not change and has no other answer than that everything should remain. When it comes to the hearing recording, there are quite big changes from what was sent to the hearing to what will be the result. We will provide a good school for everyone according to the Education Act, says Breen. – Good enough, Joakim Ekseth, group leader for Innlandet Høgre, also believes that the basis for the case is thorough. – When it concerns the best interests of the children, assessments have been made for them throughout the entire case file. What was presented just before the county council was a summary, says Ekseth. Joakim Ekseth is group leader for Innlandet Høgre and leader of the main committee for education. Photo: Inger Johanne Solli / news He points out that they will do a lot after the decision was made in October. – Several processes are now following which have been planned all along. The case was ordered two years ago and a number of hearings and meetings have been held. I sincerely believe that this matter must be dealt with more than thoroughly enough, says Ekseth. He also gave a kick to the opposition. – They use the cheese grater all the time and will continue as we have done year after year. It doesn’t work. We have to deal with a new future where we will have fewer and fewer children and young people in the district. We see it coming in other counties and municipalities across the country, says Ekseth. Published 08.11.2024, at 15.01 Updated 08.11.2024, at 17.11
ttn-69
