Every autumn, several hundred thousand students participate in the nationwide Student Survey under the auspices of the Norwegian Directorate of Education (Udir). The survey, which is about the school environment, is intended for pupils from fifth grade and upwards and is compulsory for seventh grade, tenth grade and the first year of upper secondary school. New this year is that students can choose the category “other” when asked about gender. – Has been in demand According to the Norwegian Directorate of Education, both teachers, parents and pupils have demanded an alternative to boys and girls. – In recent years, there have been between 30 and 50 inquiries annually. We have therefore chosen to include an “other” category to take account of pupils who do not feel like a girl or a boy, says department director for statistics and data management, Irene Hilleren. Irene Hilleren, department director for statistics and data management in Udir. Photo: Directorate of Education At the same time, the Directorate is not entirely satisfied with the term “other”. – We have had a small consultation round to find the best way to name those who do not identify as boy or girl. We will continue to work on this until next year’s survey. Calls for debate The new answer option in the survey has created a debate in a teacher group on Facebook. One of those who got involved is teacher Ole Christian Vedvik. – I am surprised that we as a school convey to the children in this way that they can be either boys, girls or something else, he says to news. Ole Christian Vedvik started the debate in the teachers’ group on Facebook. He believes that students should not be offered a third gender in the Student Survey. Photo: Privat Vedvik says he thinks it is important to look after all pupils in the school, including those who experience gender incongruity. – It is a vulnerable group that deserves a lot of care. At the same time, he believes that the school, by giving students a third answer option, does not relate to science. – I am fully aware that some people refer to themselves as non-binary, but that only describes a person’s inner experience. It is important that the school’s communication is not based on a knowledge base that originates from the subjective experiences of individuals. The student survey Photo: Kai Rune Kvitstein / news An annual survey among school students about how they experience the psychosocial environment at school. The Directorate of Education is responsible for the survey and uses respondents to create research reports. The schools are obliged to follow up the results of the student survey. It is compulsory for all schools to carry out the student survey in the 7th grade, 10th grade and year 1 in the autumn term. It is voluntary to carry out the Student Survey in grades 5, 6, 8 and 9 and in grades 2 and 3. The students do not give their names, and no personal identification number is attached to the answers. Results from the survey must not be published in a way that makes it possible to recognize the students’ answers. Source: Norwegian Directorate of Education He calls for a wider debate about how schools convey gender. – Considering that we still only have two legal genders in Norway, this is rather controversial. It is important that any good arguments for this decision come forward. Some children do not feel like a boy or a girl. (Illustration picture) Photo: Ingvild Edvardsen / news – Being appreciated Among the teachers on Facebook, there are also several who support the change. – I meet several students every year who do not enjoy having to answer “boy” or “girl”. I see no problem in giving them a box they are comfortable ticking off, writes teacher Morten Østerud Larsen in the relevant group on Facebook. He tells news that he himself has contacted the Directorate of Education several times and asked them to change the student survey. Teacher Morten Østerud Larsen believes that Udir takes students with a non-binary gender identity seriously by including a third answer option. Photo: Private – In order to learn how these students feel at school, we benefit from having a third category, which the students really appreciate. Larsen disagrees that the school, by offering students a third category, does not relate to science. – Gender is both cultural, social and biological. The science around gender is developing, and we do not have a single conclusion on what it means to belong to the categories. Different parts of science provide different perspectives. Fears frivolous answers How many students have ticked the option “other” this autumn is not yet clear, according to the Norwegian Directorate of Education. Ole Christian Vedvik, who started the debate on Facebook, fears frivolous responses among immature schoolchildren. – Then perhaps the results will to some extent reveal whether I am wrong. – Can you understand that it is nice for some children to have a third option? – In that case, I think it would be better to give them the option to choose “do not wish to provide”. Then you take care of those who find it uncomfortable to answer “boy” or “girl”, while the school does not reject the two-sex model. This screenshot from the Student Survey was posted by teacher Ole Christian Vedvik on Facebook. Photo: private
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Now 10-year-olds can choose “other” gender in the student survey – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
