news reported on Tuesday about the school team at Sognefjorden, which is no longer allowed to meet for indoor prayer in long-distance. The municipality put a stop to the gatherings with reference to the Education Act. The entire rationale here. Norges Kristelige Student- og Skoleungdomslag (Laget) is the parent organization of 170 school teams at Norwegian youth and secondary schools. In response to the “devotion refusal”, they started a fundraising campaign to buy a lavvo for the pupils in Balestrand. On Wednesday morning, the Christian newspaper Vårt Land reports that enough money has come in for four lavvos. But Adam and the rest of the school team were not in the doldrums for long, before the school management put their foot down again. In a text message to Vårt Land, the municipal director in Sogndal, Tor-Einar Holvik Skinlo, writes that it is not where the students have the prayer meeting that is decisive, but that it happens during school time. When asked if they can meet in a lavvo in store-free, Skinlo texts that “the answer will be no”. Supplementary answer from the municipal director in the box below. – A fragmented situation is unfortunate Municipal director in Sogndal, Tor-Einar Holvik Skinlo – All external team and organizational activity is handled equally in Sogndal School. When it concerns the work with §9-a, that everyone has the right to a safe and good school environment, there is no indication what kind of organization will borrow classrooms, or meet, during school hours. Christian youth team, AUF, FpU, scouts, Red Cross, etc. In the overarching part of the curriculum, chapter 2.1, it says about social learning and development: The school must support and contribute to the pupils’ social learning and development through work with the subjects and in everyday school life in general . The student’s identity and self-image, opinions and attitudes are created in interaction with others. Social learning takes place both in teaching and in all other activities under the auspices of the school. Academic learning cannot be isolated from social learning. In the daily work, the students’ academic and social learning and development therefore play together. It is in the community at our schools that this work takes place. A fragmented situation where different teams and organizations hold meetings for their members during school time is unfortunate. It also applies to the use of resources; the employees at the schools have, in relation to §9-a, a duty to monitor whether everyone has a safe and good school environment. In the student survey, almost half of those who tick that they are bullied say that no adults at school knew about the bullying. We must be present where the students are. The work with a safe and good school environment for all and social and professional learning and development must be seen in a broad context. This wholesome work that the schools and the staff at Sogndalsskulen do every day is based on the community in our school environment. In the work with professional and social learning and development, Sogndalsskulen promotes and supports team and organizational work. It is an important part of the Norwegian system, and I do a lot to facilitate this. Our school buildings are available free of charge after 1430, there is a simple system for ordering and borrowing keys. – We talk about school and other things. Then there is someone who holds a devotional, and those who want to can pray, say the students. Photo: Private – Out of step with the principle of openness to life The ban on Christian gatherings at Sagatun school has received a lot of attention this week, and has been criticized all the way from the bishop in Bjørgvin to the Human-Ethical Association. Minister for Children and Families Kjersti Toppe (Sp): – A society neutral in outlook is not the same as a society devoid of outlook. I hope they understand the difference. Sturla Stålsett, leader of the Stålsett committee: – This decision is in direct conflict with the principle of openness of outlook in the new Societies Act. Margrete Haug (KrF), leader of the living standards committee (responsible for the schools) in Sogndal municipality: – I am shocked that the municipality has made this decision without conferring with us. Margrete Bjørge Katanasho, National Council for Norwegian Children’s and Youth Organisations: – Children and young people should be able to gather around what they believe in and are passionate about. That the municipality intervenes in this way is unfortunate. Erhard Hermansen, secretary general of the Christian Council of Norway: – I feel that schooling contributes to fear of touching the faith. The opposite of what the Hurdalsplattforma underlines. The government wrote in Hurdalsplattforma that they “want a society with a view of life” and that “faith creates belonging and identity.” – This is contrary to the idea of an open-minded society Ingrid Rosendorf Joys, general secretary of the Co-operative Council for Faith and Beliefs – This is contrary to the idea of an open-minded society. Norway should not be a neutral country, but a world view where citizens should be able to live out their faith or view of life also in the public space and in our institutions such as school. To start believing, stop believing or change your belief is a human right. However, freedom of religion and outlook is not a right to avoid being exposed to the religion or outlook of others. The school should be able to make arrangements for pupils who want to gather during recess for religious activities as they do for political, sporting or other activities. – A society neutral in outlook is not the same as a society devoid of outlook, says Minister for Children and Families Kjersti Toppe (Sp). Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB The state administrator must ensure the quality of the decision Kjell Ingolf Ropstad (KrF) will send questions to the minister on Wednesday morning (see below) and notify that he will raise the matter in the Storting. Ropstad’s question to the minister Question: In light of the case where the Christian school team has been banned from meeting in Sogndal school: How will the government ensure room for student engagement and the opportunity to gather about faith during school time for student organizations such as “Laget”? Background Noregs Kristelige Skoleungdomslag (Laget) is a member organization with around 200 local teams in schools and study centers all over Norway. The work has been going on for almost 100 years, but recently it has been experienced that some schools have refused to allow team meetings inside the school during recess. In Sogndal, according to the newspaper Vårt Land, the director of the municipality has gone so far that he will not even let the team’s youth meet outside during school time. The reason given by the municipal director for Christian school teams being excluded in such a way is that: “We have assessed that religious gatherings during school time with religion as the background and purpose of the gatherings can lead to a school environment that is discriminatory and hinders play and social learning in across religious orientation. Both the Humanities Association and the National Association for Children’s and Youth Organizations (LNU), which represents 102 Norwegian children’s and youth organizations, have criticized this meeting ban. To news, the municipal director in Sogndal says that they have forwarded the rationale for the decision to the State Administrator for legal quality assurance. news has been in contact with the State Administrator, but has not received an answer as to how long they will take to reject or approve the interpretation of the law. – I thought it was special that the municipality is spending energy on finding a legal home for its land grant, which has been so widely criticised, rather than picking up the phone and actually talking to the affected pupils, says leader of the team, Karl-johan Kjøde. Student-initiated school-time meetings last received a lot of public attention when Sirdal municipality introduced a so-called bun ban in 2019 – before the municipality then backtracked and still allowed “Christian buns” as “bait”. Director of the Discrimination Board, Ashan Nishantha, tells news that they have not received complaints from students at Sagatun school. Photo: Eirik Thue / Eirik Thue – Common practice with student-initiated meetings during school time The National Council for Norway’s Children and Youth Organizations (LNU) comprises a total of 102 member organisations. – Many of these use the schools as a recruitment arena, and many of them have meetings during school hours, says chairwoman of LNU, Margrete Bjørge Katanasho. She does not have figures on the extent of student-initiated meetings during school, but says it is widespread. She therefore registers the decision in Sogndal municipality “with wonder”: – Through organizational life, children and young people get the opportunity to develop themselves, in community with others, while at the same time learning that their voice matters. Therefore, schools should open their doors to such activity, not close their doors to it. Director of the Discrimination Board, Ashan Nishantha, tells news that they have not received complaints from students at Sagatun school. – But if some of the students want an assessment as to whether this is discriminatory in terms of freedom of religion, they can send us a complaint. It is free and can easily be done digitally via our complaint form. – Many students may feel excluded from participating in other activities that take place during school hours, such as football, karate and chess. But they are not banned for that reason, says the Bishop of Bjørgvin, Halvor Nordhaug. Photo: Jon Olav Nesvold / NTB
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Lavvo refusal for young people who want to gather for prayer during school hours – news Vestland
