– This is one of the funnest things we do. There is so much going on! says Mette Simensen. She is a teacher for the 2nd graders at Røyslimoen school in Lillehammer. While the students are working on assignments, she walks around and taps capital initials and full stops. – The important thing for me is that the children see a meaning in reading and writing, says Simensen. Teacher Mette Simensen spends a lot of time studying reading. She notices that it gives results. Photo: Anders Fehn / news She works at a school and in a municipality that has seen remarkable development in recent years. From scoring completely average in reading on national tests, the students in Lillehammer are now among the best in the country. The 5th graders at her school are at least a year further along in the development of reading skills than the 5th graders were just five years ago. – As 20–30 years ago At the same time that the results have improved, there are far fewer people who need special education in Lillehammer. At the weekend, news told how Storm from Halden was one of over 10,000 pupils who left primary school without being able to read and understand simple texts. news’s survey has shown that even though Norwegian schools are spending more and more money on special education for the weakest pupils, the results in reading are not improving. Pedagogy professor Thomas Nordahl at Høgskolen i Innlandet believes that the knowledge of what is needed to improve reading education exists. The problem is that it is often not used. Professor Thomas Nordahl at Høgskolen i Innlandet. Photo: Anders Fehn / news – We are in the same place as 20–30 years ago, he says. – We look at the student’s mistakes and challenges instead of looking at what is characteristic of the training. How could we do this differently? he says. Changed use of resources The law requires schools to provide special education to pupils who fall behind in their subjects. Most of the 50,000 pupils in primary school who receive such special education receive it at the end of primary school or at secondary school. Special education ties up a lot of resources for a few students. For Lillehammer, the key has been to find out early which pupils are struggling. Then they can solve the problems before they grow large and trigger the need for expensive and demanding special education. Head of school Trond Johnsen in Lillehammer boasts of the teachers, but also sees that systematic work in the municipality has yielded results. Photo: Anders Fehn / news – I believe that the more we use to have as high a base staff as possible with good people, the better. Then we spend less on special measures, says school principal Trond Johnsen in Lillehammer. It is music to Professor Nordahl’s ears. He has followed developments in Lillehammer, and seen that the results have come after a determined investment. – Some schools have too poor plans and systems. You must constantly have an overview of where each individual student is, and take action when the student does not have the desired development, he says. New law Mette Simensen has followed her class for a year and a half. She says that it is possible to see which students are struggling with reading early on in first grade. This allows her to adapt the teaching. – Some pupils can read when they come to school, while for others everything is completely new. Everyone has a right to be met at the level they are. We try to adapt both the tasks in the lessons and the homework, she says. Erna Solberg’s government was concerned with so-called early intervention, and legislated this. This year, the Storting is scheduled to adopt a new Education Act. Thomas Nordahl hopes for certain changes in the legislation. At the same time, he believes there is a lot other municipalities can learn from Lillehammer. – They have managed to solve many of these challenges within the current legislation. So it is not just the legislation that limits, he says. Erna Solberg reacts to Storm’s (14) story: – Upsetting that we have not come further
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Professor Thomas Nordahl believes that schools conduct special education as they did 20–30 years ago – news Oslo og Viken – Local news, TV and radio
