– The phone rings constantly, says principal Lars Berntsen at Amalie Skram upper secondary school in Bergen. At the other end: Desperate and scared parents. Worried about their children without school facilities, frameworks and friends. It’s serious now. He fears that the strike will wreak so much havoc in the young people’s lives that it will be difficult to repair later. On Sunday at 12 o’clock, the parties to the teachers’ strike have been summoned to a meeting at the Riksmegleren. Risk of emergency admissions The headmaster believes that pupils with autism, eating disorders, sleep difficulties, depression and social anxiety are particularly hard hit. – We have students who can go into psychosis and be admitted to a psychiatric hospital. There is a risk of emergency admissions. We are there, he says. Some people think the situation is so hopeless that they isolate themselves. – What we fear most is that students drop out, that they stop school. Psychoses, emergency admissions and drop outs. Principal Lars Berntsen at Amalie Skram upper secondary school believes that these are real consequences of the teachers’ strike. Photo: Synne Lykkebø Hafsaas / news – Feeling of powerlessness Around half of the teachers at the upper secondary school have gone on strike. It affects 1,000 students. If the health situation becomes critical for individual students due to the strike, the school can apply for a dispensation for their teachers. This means that they can be exempted from the strike. In the end, it is the teachers’ union that decides whether the application is to be approved or rejected. It is therefore out of the school’s hands. – You feel a sense of powerlessness, says Berntsen. – Crazy when it goes beyond the rivers During the strike, the school keeps its doors open for students. Here they are served soup every afternoon, while they do school work. Hogne Drange (17) is one of those who take advantage of the offer. – I am much less at school, and struggle with the fact that I don’t get to see my friends during the strike, he says. – I think that for the students who may not have that many to join, it can be even more difficult, he says. Hogne Drange (17) believes that the students, who do not have many to join, have had it even worse during the teachers’ strike. Photo: Gerd Johanne Braadland / news Carmen Larsen Fraga (16) started first grade at Amalie Skram upper secondary school this autumn. She sees that pupils are struggling to make friends as a consequence of the strike. – It spoils everyday life a bit. I understand very well that the teachers want better pay, but it’s a bit awkward when it affects the students, she says. Eliina Kalda (16) (right) and Carmen Larsen Fraga (16) (left) started at Amalie Skram upper secondary school this autumn. They see that the strike is causing many people to struggle to make friends. Photo: Synne Lykkebø Hafsaas / news – Should know the responsibility Headmaster Lars Berntsen believes that everyone who can influence the length of the teachers’ strike should know the responsibility. – I am unsure whether the employer in particular here sees all the consequences of the conflict. Here you have to see that you have a big responsibility and take that responsibility, he says. news has been in contact with KS, which has not wanted to comment on the matter. Helse Bergen has noticed an increase in cases after children and young people were banned from teaching, writes VG. – In the last month, we have again had an increase in referrals of around nine percent, and more people are being taken in for assessment, says director Liv Kleve at the Clinic for Mental Health Care for Children and Young People (PBU) to the newspaper. It is too early to say whether it is directly related to the teachers’ strike. In the last month, several children and young people have needed help, says director Liv Kleve at the Mental Health Care Clinic for Children and Young People (PBU) in Helse Bergen Photo: Synne Lykkebø Hafsaas / news Expecting increased attendance Ole Andreas Hovda is a specialist in child and adolescent psychiatry and section manager at BUP in central Bergen. He says that so far they have not seen an increase in progress after the teachers’ strike started, but believes there will be. – I fear and expect that it will come. I think that it is distressing for the mental health of children and young people, which is one of the most important things we have to take care of. He says that you see some of the same strain now when the schools are on strike as during the pandemic. – The young people were in the process of returning to everyday life, and then many have to return to a certain degree of isolation. In addition, they do not receive any teaching. The consequences can be significant in both the short and longer term for many, says Hovda. Bergen hardest hit The Ombudsman has invited the parties in the teacher conflict to a meeting on Sunday at 12.00. If there is no solution, the strike will be stepped up from Monday, and 1,800 new teachers will be taken on strike. A total of 8,100 teachers are on strike across the country. It affects pupils right down to the 2nd grade in primary school. Bergen municipality is the hardest hit by the strike. Here, the first teachers were taken out on strike on 8 June. At Gimle nursery school in Bergen, 10 percent of the school year has already disappeared for the students. See which schools are on strike below: These schools are affected: New strike action from 19 September AGDER COUNTY MUNICIPALITY Arendal high school Sam Eyde high school ARENDAL MUNICIPALITY Arendal adult education Asdal school Birkelund school Eydehavn school Flosta school Flosta school SFO Hisøy school 1-10 schools Moltemyr school Myra school Nedenes school Nesheim school Roligheden school children’s/youth center Rykene nursery school Sandnes school Stinta school children’s and youth center Strømmen nursery school Stuenes school children’s and youth center BERGEN MUNICIPALITY Christi crib schools Eidsvåg school Flaktveit school Haukedalen school Haukås school Hellen school Holen school Hordvik school Kalvatræet school Kirkevoll school Kjøkkelvik school Krohnengen school Kyrkjekrinsen school Li school Mjølkeråen school Møhlenpris upveksttun add school Nattland upveksttun – school Nordnes school Ny krohnborg school Olsvik school Rolland school Rå school Rådalslien school Salhus school Sandgotna school Skranevatnet school Tertnes school Ulsetskogen school Åstveit school BODØ MUNICIPALITY Alstad primary school Aspåsen school Bankgata secondary school Bodøsjøen school Grønnåsen school Hunstad primary school Løpsmark school Mørkvedbukta school Mørkvedmarka school Rønvik school Saltstraumen school Saltvern school Skaug nursery school Tverlandet school Østbyen school BÆRUM MUNICIPALITY Anna Krefting school Bekkestua primary school Bjørnegård school Blommenholm school Bryn and Hammerbakken school Bryn school Bryn and Hammerbakken school Hammerbakken school Eikeli school Eiksmarka school Emma Hjorth school Evje school Grav school Gullhaug school Haslum school Hauger school Hosle school Hosletoppen school Hundsund junior high school Høvik school Høvik verk school Jar school Jong school Levre school Lommedalen school Lysaker school Løkeberg school Oksenøya school Ringstabekk school Rykkinn school Skui school Snarøya school Stabekk school Storøya school Tanum school Vøynenenga school HAUGESUND MUNICIPALITY Austrheim school Gard school Brakahaug school Hauge school Lillesund school Rossabø school Saltveit school Skåredalen school Solvang school LILLESTRØM MUNICIPALITY Asak school Bingsfoss secondary school Blaker school Brånås school Bråtejordet school Dalen school Frogner school Garderåsen school Gjellerås school Hovinhøgda school Kjeller school Riddersand school Sagdalen school Sten-tærud school Sørum school Vardeåsen school Vigernes school Åsenhangen school MØRE OG ROMSDAL COUNTY MUNICIPALITY Hustadvika secondary school PORSGRUNN MUNICIPALITY Borge school Brattås school Brevik upbringing center department school Grønli school Heistadskolene department children Klevstrand school Myrene school Stridsklev school Tveten school Vestsiden school STEINKJER MUNICIPALITY Mære school Steinkjer school TROMS OG FINNMARK COUNTY MUNICIPALITY Ishavsbyen high school TROMSØ MUNICIPALITY Tromstun school TRØNDELAG COUNTY MUNICIPALITY Byåsen high school Charlottenlund high school Heimdal high school Skjetlein high school Strinda high school Thora storm high school Tiller high school Trondheim cathedral school VESTLAND COUNTY MUNICIPALITY Askøy vide regular school Knarvik secondary school Sotra secondary school VIKEN COUNTY MUNICIPALITY Eikeli secondary school Rosenvilde secondary school This is what they argue about Salary The teachers: KS has made the teachers pay losers for the sixth year in a row. Teachers have had a weaker pay trend than other employees in municipalities and counties. KS: The figures from the Technical Calculation Committee (TBU) that the Norwegian Confederation of Education uses are not very relevant for looking at salary trends. Figures for the municipal sector show that the various groups of teachers have had 1 per thousand lower wage growth in the last five years than the average. Teacher dropouts: Increasingly poor conditions are one reason why 40,000 people with teacher training no longer work in schools. KS: Of around 33,000 with teacher training who do not work in the school system, around 40 per cent still work in education and school (nursery, higher education, after-school education, adult education centres, community colleges). Lack of qualified teachers The teachers: One in five who teach in the school (primary school and VGO combined), lack an approved teacher training. KS: There is no shortage of teachers in Norway, 96 per cent of primary school teachers meet the competence requirements. The actual turnover is relatively low for teachers, around 8 per cent, compared to around 12 per cent in the municipal sector as a whole. Recruitment The teachers: The number of applicants to the teacher training courses is down for the third year in a row. The reason is, among other things, weak wage growth since 2004 compared to other groups. KS: This year’s result ensures good salary increases for all employees, while at the same time it has a clear recruitment profile. Only 5 per cent of municipalities say in KS’ employer monitor that it is “very challenging” to recruit primary school teachers. There is a shortage of teachers in some municipalities, and a surplus of teachers in others. Teachers with a long education The teachers: Teachers with more than four years of education are paid less than all other professions with the same length of education, in both the public and private sectors. The school is the sector in Norway where higher education gives the worst pay in terms of wages. KS: In this year’s settlement, new teachers with a master’s degree will be guaranteed a starting salary of NOK 563,800. Most have additional functions on top of this, an average of NOK 25,000. Education also pays off in the municipal sector in the long term. (Sources: KS and the Swedish Education Association)
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The rector is called – fears “drop outs” and emergency admissions to psychiatric hospitals – news Vestland
