At Tveitevannet in Bergen, Minde School has an activity day. First-graders Lovis Svensson Vollset and Melissa Zamil Al-Aama talk about the transition from kindergarten to school. – It was pretty good, but the first day I was a bit embarrassed, says Lovis. – I think it was a bit scary, because I was very used to being in the nursery, says Melissa. When they started school, they almost only knew each other. After one year, they have learned to understand letters and write with words. They have also continued to play. It is neither too little nor too much: – Just right, they say. Too little play But not everyone agrees. On Tuesday, Minister of Education Kari Nessa Nordtun (Ap) received the final report “Classroom practices 20 years on. An evaluation of the six-year reform’. One of the main findings was that there is too little play in the school. The six-year reform was introduced in 1997 by Gro Harlem Brundtland’s third government. In 2018, the Storting decided that it should be evaluated. The six-year reform Reform 97 was a primary school reform that was implemented by the Brundtland III government, under then education minister Gudmund Hernes (Ap). The age for starting school was lowered from seven to six. Primary school was extended from nine to 10 years. The background was that they wanted to give all children an equal educational school preparation offer, regardless of place of residence and socio-economic background. With the reform, a new curriculum came into force. The game had a central place in the curriculum for the primary school level, and was supposed to be the starting point for the pupils’ learning. The reform came into force in August 1997. In 2018, the Storting decided, following a proposal from KrF, that the reform should be evaluated. Since 2020, OsloMet has carried out the evaluation on behalf of the Norwegian Directorate of Education, through several interim reports and a final report. The requirement for the assignment was, among other things, to strengthen the knowledge base about the youngest pupils, and how they are taken care of in the school, with the aim of setting up the school to better take care of the pupils’ needs. The data base consists of 15 first classes and eight second classes from eight different schools in eight different municipalities. Source: regjeringen.no 27 years with six-year-olds in the classroom Since 2020, researchers at Oslo Met have interviewed and observed pupils, teachers, head teachers and school owners from eight different schools in the country. The report shows that there is great variation in how much children are allowed to play. Today’s classrooms are more teacher-led than when the six-year reform was introduced. – The evaluation shows that there is too little play in school today, compared to the intention of the six-year reform and what the research says about how children learn best, says Professor Elisabeth Bjørnestad. She presented and handed over the report in the Ministry of Education on Tuesday. Elisabeth Bjørnestad is a professor at the Faculty of Teacher Education and International Studies at Oslo Met. Photo: OsloMet – Concerned Bjørnestad points out that the youngest pupils experience learning, development, well-being and motivation through play. The report shows that little reading aloud has been observed in first class. The researchers believe this is worrying. According to the evaluation, a lot of time is spent on training in language and letters. But several teachers express concern that letter learning takes time away from other activities. Increased focus on play At Minde School, they notice that more play has struck a chord with both pupils and teachers. The play has apparently not gone beyond the learning: – It is rather that the play strengthens and promotes learning, says Erik løland, head of department for 1.-4. steps. Erik Løland says that they strive for more learning through play at Minde School. Photo: Agnieszka Iwanska / news The school has had a special focus on play among the youngest, but can become even better at running play-based learning for the older ones, says Løland. 4th graders Emiil Berg-Pettersen and Emilie Sofie Magnussen-Hovdenes think it’s a good idea: – We want more playing, says Emiil. Fourth graders Emilie and Emiil think it would have been fun to play more. Emiil likes to play racquetball and soccer in the free time, but doesn’t think they get enough play. Photo: Agnieszka Iwanska / news Several teachers and leaders in the school believe that the game is under great pressure. – Teachers and managers all over the country have done their utmost to create space for play. They often fight against a system and a culture that does not see the value of play. Now it has to be turned around, says deputy chairman of the Education Association, Ann Mari Milo Lorentzen. Ann Mari Milo Lorentzen follows the evaluation on behalf of the Education Association. Photo: Harald Åker / Harald Åker Proposes full-day school Nordtun singles out the proposal for a full-day school for 1st and 2nd grade as particularly interesting, and something the government already supports for a long time. Education Minister Kari Nessa Nordtun (Ap) is positive about the measures that have been proposed. Photo: Truls Alnes Antonsen / news – This is something I will definitely look into more closely, she stated during the presentation. Despite some points of concern, the researchers’ main impression is that most first-graders are doing well at school. In the report, the researchers make a number of proposals for the government, which you can see further down in the case. Want more play-based learning Tone Ljøkelsøy started as a teacher in 1997 when the six-year reform came in, and remembers well that there was a focus on six-year-olds being allowed to play. – Play does not mean that there is no learning. Ljøkelsøy believes that play is incredibly important in school. Photo: Agnieszka Iwanska / news Today she teaches 1st grade at Minde School, and incorporates play into learning as often as she can. Playing shop, for example, can be a good way to learn mathematics, she believes. But play is probably just as important for the social as for the academic. – We have social games. We shall not only educate them, but we shall form them as well. Play is a very important premise there. Melissa and Asta like to play shop or family at school. Photo: Agnieszka Iwanska / news Asta Fjeld Gaarder is in the 1st grade and has studied both one and the other in the last year. – We have learned to read and to count. We have also learned to comfort each other. We have also learned to be travel buddies. That we should look after our travel friend, she says. The researchers’ recommendations Two pedagogues per class of over 15 children at first level Increased expertise in initial training in basic education Reintroduction of a teacher specialist for initial training Inclusion of other professions Strengthening guidance and mentoring Better cooperation between nursery school and school Access to suitable areas, rooms and materials are important framework conditions for play-inspired pedagogy Increase the teachers’ freedom of action Introduction of full-day school at first and second grade Increased emphasis on developing a love of reading Sharing experiences about writing Varied learning of letters Play and variation in working methods Increased emphasis on an academically varied mathematics subject Maintain work on utilizing different student strategies and varied working methods Increased emphasis on the mathematics subject in first class Develop supervisors for work with the youngest Government support for the development of the municipalities’ school ownership Strengthen the recruitment of stable and competent teachers Competence boost for initial training Published 18.06.2024, at 19.08
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There is too little play in school, shows an evaluation of the six-year reform – news Vestland
