The case in summary Table pressure and a bad environment in the canteen affect students’ choice of upper secondary school. Uncultured canteens have been a problem at schools in Kristiansand, Eiker, Horten and Sandefjord, among others. The pupil and apprentice ombudsman confirms that the canteen culture is a problem in schools in several parts of the country. In Troms, an unsafe canteen environment has led to a breach of the Education Act on the right to a safe and good school environment. In order for rituals to work, they must end with a happy ending where the newcomers become part of a community, says Marius Vigen, doctoral candidate and sociologist at NTNU. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – A well-known thing about the canteen is that the popular are allowed to sit somewhere and the rest have to sit further away, says Emma Gjerstad. The pursuit of status in canteens is a phenomenon at several upper secondary schools around the country. Among other things, there has been a problem at schools in Kristiansand, Eiker, Horten and Sandefjord. Recently, news also told about first-graders who are “welcomed” with food wars in the canteen. Rumors about peer pressure and a bad environment affect new students when they have to choose their upper secondary school. – It gives you much more stress in everyday life, and it is much more difficult to get to school for many when you know you have to go through it, says Oda Snaunes. – If you sit at the wrong table, you can get into a bit of trouble. It sounds very frightening, says Nadia Jammeh Kwicera. – The security is the reason why I chose this school, says Nadia Jammeh Kwicera. Sofie Ingebretsen also chose the school because she had heard that there was not so much pressure. Photo: STIAN WÅSJØ SIMONSEN / news The students opted out of large secondary schools nearby to avoid this. Even though they have to spend 45 minutes on the bus to Re upper secondary school, the students do not regret their choice. For them, the most important thing is to enjoy themselves at school. – If you have a bad time at school, it can affect the subjects. If you’re feeling well, it’s easier to focus in class and look forward to recess and being with your friends, says Nadia. In the canteen at Re upper secondary school, they sit where there is a free seat. – Everyone sits where they want. There was a center table at the start, but it was removed because it was posted on Jodel. The school is taking hold, says Oda. Comment field from Jodel after episodes of food throwing at other upper secondary schools in Vestfold. Principal Sindre Leuschner Bjerkeseth says the school has not had an uncultured canteen. – The students and the school have taken responsibility for the fact that that culture has been the exact opposite. It is very good, he says. Principal at Re upper secondary school, Sindre Leuschner Bjerkeseth. Photo: Theodor Aasland Valen / news Bjerkeseth believes it is about involving the students. – They participate and collaborate on what the canteen will be used for, the food served, color choices and how they want it, he says. But the school is not perfect and things happen here too, says the headmaster. – We have to work all the time. There are always students who can come up with pranks. Whether it’s snow or China putters, we take it seriously. But in a school with 800 pupils it is very little, he says. – Unpleasant Canteen culture is a problem in schools in several parts of the country, confirms several pupil and apprentice representatives whom news has been in contact with. In Troms, an unsafe canteen environment has led to a breach of the Education Act on the right to a safe and good school environment, according to pupil and apprentice ombudsman, Anita Lervoll. The problem comes up every single year, she says. – Several people do not want to do anything about it because they have the opinion that it will get worse if they speak up, says Lervoll. In Vestfold, some students choose not to visit the canteen, but stay seated and have their breaks in the classroom, says Geir Eidsvåg, student and apprentice representative in Vestfold. He has previously been contacted by students, parents, student councils and school management who need help with this. Geir Eidsvåg is student and apprentice representative in Vestfold. Photo: Vestfold and Telemark county council Eidsvåg believes that schools should be clear that rudeness in the canteen is inappropriate. – If there are groups that do not take the hints from the school, the school must assess the consequences in relation to the school regulations. They have to dare to do it, and some schools do, he says. Pupils experience it differently In Oslo, Trøndelag and Vestland, the pupil and apprentice representatives also receive feedback on canteen culture. – Usually there is a long table reserved for the Russians. Some Vg1 students have been unlucky enough to sit there, but are asked to leave the table, says Benthe Asp, student representative in Trøndelag. Benthe Asp, pupil and apprentice representative in Trøndelag. The students say that they experience this differently, and for some it is a motivation to finish upper secondary school, so that they can sit at the table themselves. Others say they feel excluded, she points out. “Community is important for well-being and a good school environment, and then it is not okay to be banned from certain areas because you are not a drug addict,” she says. Does not work without a happy ending It is typical that the more experienced will point out to newcomers that there is a system or hierarchy here, says Marius Vigen. He is a doctoral candidate and sociologist at NTNU, researching rites of passage. – Such mechanisms are typical for establishing a common understanding that “we are the ones sitting at these tables”. They want to put them in place to show that they have already been there for two years, he says. Marius G. Vigen is a doctoral candidate and sociologist at NTNU. Photo: NTNU But for such rituals to work, it must end with a happy ending where the newcomers become part of a community, he points out. One example is students who do strange things to be accepted into a line association during sponsor week. Recruits in the military another. – Then there is often a humiliating aspect, like drinking fish sloe, but the idea is that you will be accepted as a full member. If there isn’t something at the other end that creates unity, it’s just chaos. Then it contributes to alienation or fear, says Vigen. Nadia Jammeh Kwicera is the daughter of Robert Hansen, who is employed by news. Hello! Thank you for reading this matter! Do you have tips or suggestions that we can follow up on? Feel free to send me an email! Published 02.09.2024, at 20.56
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Pupils avoid high schools with table pressure in the canteen – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
