The matter briefly summarized Norwegian education for immigrants is under pressure in many municipalities. The main reason is the flow of refugees from Ukraine. The main challenge is to get enough teachers with the right skills, especially in smaller municipalities. Lack of classrooms and teachers is also a problem in larger cities such as Stavanger, Trondheim, Bergen and Oslo. The municipalities expect to receive 37,000 new Ukrainian refugees next year, which will increase the pressure on the service. Waiting lists for Norwegian education have increased, especially for Ukrainian refugees between the ages of 16 and 18 in Oslo. The Red Cross’s low-threshold offer for Norwegian training is overcrowded. The organization needs stable and long-term funds from the state to meet the need. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. In order to get a job, Norwegian skills are often crucial. You are entitled to a Norwegian language course, and must be offered no later than three months after you have taken up residence in a municipality. But the offer has been under pressure for the past two years. Much is due to the flow of refugees from Ukraine. Since the start of the war, the municipalities have housed more than 70,000. It has created queues into the classrooms. And more refugees are expected in the coming year. Under pressure – The vast majority of people today receive an offer within the framework of the law, but we are concerned about the situation in 2024, says Are Solstad, department director in the Directorate of Education. Are Solstad points out that the municipalities have made an enormous effort to settle and provide Norwegian education to the refugees from Ukraine. Photo: Education Agency The Directorate has received feedback from the municipalities. Most manage to give Norwegian lessons within the deadline, but they are under pressure. The main challenge is to get teachers. – It is already difficult to obtain enough staff with the right skills, and it will become even more demanding in the future, says Solstad. He is particularly concerned about the smallest municipalities. Lack of teachers and waiting lists But there are many indications that it could also become a problem in the populous cities. Two problems are repeated in the big cities. Lack of classrooms and teachers. In Stavanger, they have had to build up capacity significantly in a short time and it is now more difficult to find competent teachers. In Trondheim there are around 100 on the waiting list. The principal of adult education says they lack teachers and places to be. In Bergen, Ukrainians get fewer Norwegian lessons than before. Lack of teaching rooms and resources is the reason. Acquiring competent teachers is also a challenge in the capital. This has led to several Norwegian teachers in Oslo not having the competence they must have according to the law. Next year, the municipalities will receive 37,000 new Ukrainian refugees, according to estimates. They also have to learn Norwegian. – It can be demanding to accept larger groups of refugees than what we accept today, says Harald Nedrelid, principal of adult education in Stavanger. Harald Nedrelid says it has become more demanding to get teachers to teach Norwegian. Photo: Thomas Ystrøm / news The youngest are waiting A large proportion of the refugees from Ukraine are children and young people. When they have Norwegian lessons, it normally happens in primary and secondary school. There are application deadlines, and in many places separate classes must be formed. The Directorate of Education states that several municipalities have had challenges in providing them with teaching within the deadline. In Oslo there is a waiting list for Ukrainians between the ages of 16 and 18. This is due to a lack of teaching premises. Over the autumn, the number on the waiting list has increased. But a new plan will put things in order. – We have received more resources for the work, and hope to get all those who are currently on the waiting list for Norwegian education a place at a school as soon as possible. That’s what Petter Yttereng, director of the Department of Education, says. As soon as possible, they will create more student places and teaching groups. The Norwegian Education Agency will use more digital Norwegian teaching in 2024, but physical teaching is desirable where there is capacity. At adult education in Stavanger, they have several groups. Photo: Øystein Otterdal But for many new arrivals, it is not enough to practice Norwegian in the classroom. Many people want practical training. This has led to queues outside the Red Cross in Oslo. The Red Cross must reject the Red Cross has for several years had the low-threshold Norwegian training offer. There you can practice spoken Norwegian with volunteers, completely free of charge. In the last year, the rooms have been overcrowded. – Every week we experience having to reject participants because we have full Norwegian training sessions. That’s what Astrid Solberg, general manager of the Oslo Red Cross, says. The general manager of Oslo Red Cross says they had 9,226 visits to the Norwegian training in 2022. So far this year, they have had 13,150 visits. Photo: Ida Schmidt / Red Cross Already last year, the organization noticed an increase in Ukrainian participants. This year they are by far the largest group. This has led to more people being sent out the door because there are not enough Norwegian coaches and classrooms. – There is a much greater need than what we can cover in the big cities. In many places, the capacity has been exceeded, says Naghmeh Gorgin, senior adviser at the Red Cross. Naghmeh Gorgin, senior adviser at the Red Cross. Photo: Privat In order to meet the need, they need stable and long-term funds from the state. Without that, the organization will struggle to meet the need, says the senior adviser. Need more volunteers She emphasizes that the Norwegian training plays on a team with the teaching in the municipalities. – There are not enough places where people can practice spoken Norwegian, and we have a unique offer. Many come to become more self-confident before they enter working life, she says. In several places they have set up new sessions, but they need more volunteers. – The more people who get involved, the better. It contributes to a more inclusive society, she says. The Red Cross sees an increasing challenge in recruiting volunteers. They encourage anyone who has free time and is interested in practicing Norwegian with immigrants to sign up. 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Lack of teachers and classrooms – news Oslo and Viken – Local news, TV and radio
