The case in summary: Østfold County Council is planning cuts of NOK 170 million next year, which could lead to study offers in music, sports, art and media subjects being removed from some of the upper secondary schools. Study preparation lines and vocational subjects may be cut, gathered in fewer places, become electives or have larger classes. Several teachers and pupils fear that these measures will lead to more young people dropping out. The county council calls these measures “possible measures” and is investigating various ways to streamline, optimize and cut costs. A signature campaign to preserve the preparatory subjects has collected over 3,000 signatures. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – It means a lot to me to be able to go here and have a different everyday life, which I needed after secondary school, says Viktor Nordstrand. He is a student in the music department at Greåker upper secondary school in Sarpsborg. Linja annually has more applicants than there is room for. But strained finances means that study programs in music, sport, art and media subjects may be removed from some of the upper secondary schools. – I know that this line means a lot, and that many people would not have managed without it, says Nordstrand. Next year, sharp cuts are planned in the budget of the county councils in the country. According to the Municipal Sector’s organization (KS), there is talk of an amount in the billions. In Østfold alone, close to NOK 170 million will be saved. The reason is higher interest costs and strong price growth. Fears that more people will drop out On the list of what they can do to achieve this, there are two things that are repeated: Study preparation lines must either be cut, gathered in fewer places or become elective subjects. Vocational subjects must also apply to either cut or larger classes. This means that the number of students in vocational classes can be doubled from 15 to 30. Romy Samuelsen attends the sports program at Kirkeparken Videregånde skole in Moss. She believes the proposal is not well thought out. Romy Samuelsen believes that time will not last if the class becomes twice as large as it is now. Photo: Jan Kenneth Bråten – 30 students in one class in vocational subjects? It doesn’t work. There will not be enough time for practical tasks, she says. According to figures from Statistics Norway (SSB), Norway will need 90,000 skilled workers by 2035. The cuts that are now up for consideration are directly at odds with what the government has said it will focus on in the future. Education Minister Kari Nessa Nordtun points out that it is up to the county council to prioritize the use of money. Photo: Malin Therese Strand / news – I think that’s a shame. Our government is very keen to strengthen precisely this with the vocational directions, says Minister for Knowledge Kari Nessa Nordtun (Ap). Lars Rasmus Fløtra is a teacher at Kirkeparken and a trustee for the Education Association. He believes the consequences could be great. – This will be a drastic reduction in the offer for future generations of pupils and a completely wrong way to go. The teachers at Kirkeparken Secondary School in Moss gathered in the amphitheater for a silent protest against possible cuts. Photo: Jan Kenneth Bråten Unrest and concern in several places On Wednesday, the Local Government Organization (KS) sent a letter of concern to party leaders in the Storting, with the heading “Now it’s serious”. Among other things, cuts are expected at several upper secondary schools also in Møre and Romsdal and in Buskerud. – There is seriousness in the county municipalities now. There are dramatic cuts for citizens. I get reports of unrest and concern, which I have never come close to hearing before, says chairman of KS Gunn Marit Helgesen. Several pupils and teachers fear that the measures will lead to more young people dropping out. Emilie Margrete Leines goes to the sports line at Kirkeparken in Moss. She believes variety is the key to success at school. Photo: Jan Kenneth Bråten – At secondary school I started to get a little bored with school, and if I had done the same for three more years, I would have lost a lot of motivation, says Emilie Leines, who is a student at the sports department. The leader of the student council at Kirkeparken, Sayed Ahmmad, has no doubts about what the consequences could be. – Many people choose a course of study that means they don’t get bored at school. If you take it away from them, more people will drop out, says Ahmad. The county council: – Great understanding Østfold county council does not go so far as to call it a cut proposal. They would rather call it “possible measures”. – We are in the phase where we are investigating possible measures. This means that we have gone wide. We are looking at all possible ways to streamline, optimize and cut costs, says training director Brynjard Rønningen. Education director in Østfold county municipality Brynjard Rønningen says they are working to find the best possible solutions for the school offer. Photo: Even Bjøringsøy Johnsen / news Figures from the Directorate of Education show that 53 per cent of applicants to upper secondary education had vocational subjects as their first choice in 2024. In December, the politicians will make a final decision on the cut proposals. There are 84 different measures on the list for saving money. What remains is not offering different educations, gathering more students in fewer schools and reducing the number of student places. – It is obvious that when you send out such a comprehensive and long list, it arouses emotions. We have a great understanding of that. It is important for me to say that this is not a proposal for cuts, it is an overview of all possible measures, says Rønningen. Losing competence It is not necessarily today’s pupils who will notice the county council’s cut of NOK 167 million. Rikke Falstad-Jordal Bakken is active in cultural life in Østfold. She believes it is hopeless that the county council is considering replacing several lines. Photo: Jan Kenneth Bråten The son of Rikke Falstad-Jordal Bakken is 14 years old. He may have to drop his plans to enter the music industry. With that starting point, she started a signature campaign to preserve the preparatory subjects such as music, dance, drama, sports and media. At the time of writing, the campaign has well over 3,000 signatures. – If you shut down these lines, the expertise we have will never return, says Bakken. Municipalities across the country are planning sharp cuts in services next year because they are short of money. Published 30.09.2024, at 06.43
ttn-69
Risk of cuts in vocational subjects and in creative lines at upper secondary schools – news Østfold – Local news, TV and radio
