The 9-year-old rushes down the fire hose on a climbing playground in the center of Oslo. Mia loves to rush around on the play stand. news meets her the day before school starts. – When you have class at school, you must sit quietly at the desk. What do you think about it? – Stupid. Because I very often have a lot of energy, says Mia. – What do you want to do then? – I really want to run around and play outside on the playground. Mia (9) Photo: Alf Simensen / news The majority want one hour of daily physical activity Vandrehallen at the Storting 4 December 2017: The opposition has secured a majority to ensure one hour of daily physical activity for all children in primary school. The health and care committee receives flowers to celebrate the victory. Olaug Bollestad (KrF) and Kjersti Toppe (Sp) even get princess crowns. The then sports president Tom Tvedt has turned up and gives Bollestad a big hug. Kjersti Toppe (Sp), Ingvild Kjerkol (Ap) and Olaug Bollestad (KrF) celebrate one hour of daily physical activity in primary school. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB The resolution reads: “The Storting asks the government to introduce a scheme that ensures pupils in grades 1-10 step at least one hour of physical activity every day within the current hours, and that it is financed as a public health initiative. In the setting, it was therefore specified that there did not need to be a new gym class, but could be solved within today’s class. What do you think about introducing an hour of daily physical activity in primary school within the current timetable? Yes, that sounds like a good idea. No, there is already enough physical activity at school. I don’t know what I mean. Show result – Can be done fairly cheaply Elin Kolle is vice-chancellor and researcher at Norway’s Sports Academy. In 2017, she was commissioned by the government to look at how physical activity affects the rivers – she looked at the youth level. – They increased their level of physical activity, improved fitness and, in addition, they did better on national tests in reading and arithmetic, says Kolle. Elin Kolle is vice-chancellor and researcher at the Norwegian University of Sport. Photo: Eva Marie Bulai / Eva Marie Bulai We ask the researcher how physical activity can be used as part of other subjects. – Instead of sitting in a classroom and passively learning maths, you can, for example, learn by going out into the schoolyard and having a maths relay. – Can you benefit from physical activity in several subjects? – You can use it in all subjects. It is often used as repetition to learn material that you have already learned theoretically in the classroom. She says that not much is needed to increase physical activity within today’s hours. – You must have teachers who have expertise in how this is done and, in addition, we have seen that it is important that the timetable is fixed. Beyond that, not so many resources are needed. It is possible to do this quite cheaply, – Quite cheaply? But why hasn’t it been done already, then? – Yes, you almost have to ask those in charge about that. – Come in the youth message Today it is the Labor Party and the Center Party that are in government and are responsible. We ask the Minister of Education why they have not followed up on the one hour of daily physical activity that they themselves voted for in 2017. Minister of Education Kari Nessa Nordtun (Ap) Photo: Mats Rønning – First, I just want to emphasize how important physical activity is in school. It is important for memory, it is important for problem solving and for concentration. What I can also say is that the previous government chose to repeal the decision that was made seven years ago. That is why we at Hurdalsplattforma have been ready to gradually introduce daily physical activity in the school, says Minister of Education Kari Nessa Nordtun. Revoking a decision It was the Department of Education and Science that was responsible for following up the Storting’s decision from April 2017 about one hour of daily physical activity. In 2021, the Solberg government chose to resolve the case or sign it out by adopting the following: “Incentive resolution no. 106 (2017–2018) is repealed on the basis that the goal of increasing physical activity in school is being followed up with the initiative Children and young people in movement. The ministry assumes that decision no. 106 of 7 December 2017 has been followed up with. – But Labor was part of the majority in the Storting in 2017 who wanted one hour of daily physical activity in primary school. Why has it not been chosen to introduce this? – This will be addressed in our Youth Report, which will be submitted shortly. There we follow up on what is written in the Hurdalsplattforma: “The government will gradually introduce daily physical activity in the school, with freedom for the schools to organize this themselves”. – The researcher at the sports university believes that your formulation is too vague, and believes that requirements for physical activity must be set up if it is to become reality. What do you say to that? – I wish we could introduce a requirement tomorrow, but I must admit that we neither have the expertise nor the grounding in schools in Norway to introduce this within such a short time. Therefore, it is important that we do this gradually with freedom for the schools to organize this themselves, concludes the Minister of Education. Published 19.08.2024, at 21.03
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– It can be done fairly cheaply – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
