The matter in summary The county director in Østfold recommends closing down Greåker high school in order to save money. Over a thousand pupils demonstrated against the closure outside the county hall. The 180 employees at the school are unsure of what will happen to their positions. Østfold County Council must cut a total of NOK 344 million by 2028, and around 170 of these millions must be made within the training sector. The staff at Greåker have no plans to give up the fight and will fight for their school to the end. ————————————-The summary made by an AI guest from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – Getting the message was like being punched in the midriff, says construction teacher Frank Ulland. With its 180 employees and almost 1,200 students, Greåker upper secondary school is the second largest upper secondary school in Østfold. On Thursday last week, the county director recommended closing the school to save money. On the same day, over a thousand students demonstrated outside the county hall. Ulland says that there has been little sleep and a lot of restlessness in the body since they received the message. The teacher, Frank Ulland, at Greåker upper secondary school is concerned that several of the vocational subjects are now in danger of dying out. Photo: Even Bjøringsøy Johnsen / news – We are frustrated that something we love, and something we have worked for, is simply removed with the stroke of a pen. – We will get angry The final decision about what will happen to Greåker will be taken by the county politicians in the county council on 4 December. The county director’s recommendation will be the guide for both the consultation round and for the politicians. The 180 employees are therefore uncertain about what will happen to their positions. Photo: Even Bjøringsøy Johnsen / news – You become uncertain about your own future. Where will I work later? Where will I be placed, and what will that process be like? That’s what lecturer at Greåker upper secondary school, Silje Treimo Persson, says. The introduction of the new school routine will not happen overnight, but in a transitional period from the autumn of 2025. – We get angry and think that this is completely wrong. It does not agree with our everyday life, that they should take away from us this incredibly good school offer that is here, says Persson. Teachers and staff at Greåker upper secondary school are worried about the future and their jobs if their school is closed. Photo: Even Bjørningsøy Johnsen Surprised the county mayor On Monday, Østfold’s county mayor, Sindre Martinsen-Evje, was invited to Greåker high school to talk about democracy in a social studies lesson at the school. Little did he know that after class he would be met by staff and a hundred protesting students. The students at Greåker high school had gathered outside the school to protest. Here are the students at the Health and Care Department. Photo: Even Bjøringsøy Johnsen / news A protest song had been made which the music section performed, and students from the science section showed off experiments. – It was very surprising and almost overwhelming. I see there is a lot of love and kindness for the school and for the subjects here. They are very happy in their school. I can see that, says Martinsen-Evje. The county mayor represents the Labor Party, and explains that they have not yet reached a decision on the matter. County mayor Sindre Martinsen-Evje was met with protest chants and vocational lines that are in danger of being shut down. Photo: Even Bjøringsøy Johnsen / news He also emphasizes that he is county mayor for the whole of Østfold, and with that will create the best possible offer for the entire county. – I think it’s a shame that Østfold gets so little money from the state. We haven’t got the money we need, and then I can’t conjure up anything either. Willing to close three schools Østfold County Council must cut NOK 344 million by 2028. Around 170 of these millions are made within the training sector in the county. These are the most dramatic cuts that have been proposed: Lay down Borg vgs. Shut down Greåker vgs. Shut down Skjeberg folk high school. Shut down Crafts, design and product development throughout Østfold. The possibility of building up to study qualifications is removed from Askim vgs., St. Olav vgs., and Kirkeparken vgs. The upper secondary schools in Østfold have a total of 293 employees over the age of 60. It is estimated that around 100 man-years must be saved in order for the accounts to break even. The county council hopes that many of these savings can be made through natural retirements. Overview of the cut settings Askim vgs: Cancel Vg3 extension to study competence Mysen vgs: Cancel Hairdresser, flowers, interior and exposure design Halden vgs: Cancel Information technology and media production Cancel Restaurant and food subject Borg vgs: Cancel the whole school and these lines: Shut down Building and construction technology Shut down Electrical and computer technology (moved to Kalnes vgs.) Shut down Health and early childhood subjects Shut down Technology and industrial subjects (moved to an upper secondary school in Fredrikstad) Close Vg3 Extension to study skills Close special education department (moved to St. Olav secondary school) St. Olav vgs: Delete Sales, service and tourism Delete Vg3 Extension to study skills Add Health and early childhood subjects Add Music, dance and drama Add Special education department Add Vision support department Add Chemistry process and laboratory subjects Kalnes vgs: Delete Hairdressing, flowers, interior and exposure design Discontinue Physical Education Add Electrical and Computer Technology Greåker primary school: Discontinue the entire school and these the lines: Building and construction technology (parts will be moved to Kalnes, other parts to Fredrikstad) Study specialization Music, dance and drama (moved to St. Olav vgs.) Vg3 Extension to study competence Science line (moved to a high school in Fredrikstad) Glemmen primary school and Frederik II primary school: Here the proposals are still uncertain, because Østfold County Council will make an assessment of the extent to which these two Fredrikstad schools should still have two different administrations, or whether they should come together as one. Lay down Handicraft, design and product development Add Building and construction engineering Malakoff vgs: No major changes in the education offer Kirkeparken vgs: No major changes in the education offer – No plans to give up But the employees at Greåker have no plans to give up the fight. They promise to fight for their school to the end. – We are sad and cursed, but we have no intention of giving up, says Simon Lerfald-Hansen. He is a shop steward at the Education Association in Østfold. The union representative for the teachers, Simon Lerfald-Hansen, has had tough conversations with his colleagues recently. Photo: Even Bjørningsøy Johnsen Until the decision is taken, several people will try to influence the county politicians and fight against the position that the county council has come up with, he says. – We believe that this is life, and that it is an unwise decision to lay down. The way forward for school cuts In June, the process of finding out how Østfold County Municipality should spend NOK 167 million within schools and education by 2028. Solveig Helene Olsen, the county director of Østfold County Municipality, presents her proposal on where, what and how the cuts in upper secondary schools can is carried out. The proposal is also put out for external consultation. By this date, the appointment to the county council director will have undergone several hearings in order to collect input and the possible consequences of the cuts. Up to this point, several councils and tribunals have dealt with the matter. It is in the main committee for education and industry that the politicians will first consider the matter. Here the county committee will give its recommendation to the county council after hearings and other input. Here the county politicians will make a final decision about what Østfold’s future school structure should be. It is done in the county council. Show more Published 11/11/2024, at 21.08 Updated 11.11.2024, at 21.21
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Østfold county council must cut 100 man-years – Employees fear for their jobs – news Østfold – Local news, TV and radio
