The case in summary Østfold University College and 11 other educational institutions have applied to relax the teacher training grade requirements in order to fill empty study places. Research and Higher Education Minister Oddmund Hoel has granted the application and granted an exemption to all 35 teacher training courses. The Conservative Party’s deputy leader, Tina Bru, is critical of the measure and believes it will weaken the quality of teacher training. Høyre and Erna Solberg’s government introduced in 2016 a requirement of 4 in mathematics to enter the country’s primary school teacher and lecturer training courses. This was later lowered to 3. The rector at Østfold University College, Lars-Petter Jelsness-Jørgensen, does not fear for the quality and has initiated several follow-up measures. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – There is every reason to believe that we will still be left with empty study places in the autumn if we do not take these measures now, said Lars-Petter Jelsness-Jørgensen a week ago. He is rector at Østfold University College. And Jelsness-Jørgensen was not alone in calling for measures against empty study places. – It will be difficult for the nation in the future if we do not train enough primary school teachers, says the headmaster. The rector, Lars-Petter Jelsness-Jørgensen, is responsible for one of the 12 educational institutions that have applied for an exemption from grade requirements. Photo: Bård Halvorsen / Bård Halvorsen Østfold University College is one of 12 educational institutions that have applied to relax the grade requirements for teacher education. It is especially the requirement to have at least grade 3 in mathematics that the teacher training courses would not allow. And on the last school day of the year, Friday 21 June, the message came from the ministry: the application has been approved. For all. Right: – Wrong medicine After news called, it didn’t take long before the Minister of Research and Higher Education, Oddmund Hoel, got the application process going. Photo: Sandra Amalie Lid Krumsvik / news The Minister for Research and Higher Education, Oddmund Hoel, has thus granted an exemption to all 35 teacher training programs. – We need teachers. In many municipalities there are problems with recruiting teachers. So now we are taking action to get more teachers with teacher training into Norwegian schools, says Hoel. But not everyone is equally satisfied. The deputy leader of the Conservative Party, Tina Bru, does not spare the metaphors: – Like peeing in your pants to keep warm. And… – I really don’t think this is the right medicine. Tina Bru is steadfast in her case: – We must continue to invest in the quality of the teachers, and that it is attractive to become a teacher. Then lowering these requirements is not the right answer. Photo: William Jobling / news Bru believes that you are doing yourself a disservice by removing the grades in order to leave empty study places. – It is the children who are going to suffer from this in the long run, in that they do not get the education that they might have been able to get if the teachers had been better qualified. Then lowering these requirements is not the right answer. It was Høyre and Erna Solberg’s government that in 2016 introduced a requirement of 4 in mathematics to enter the country’s primary school teacher and lecturer training programs. In 2022, the government chose to lower the requirement to grade 3 in mathematics, as long as you also had at least 40 school credits. – The children have the right to meet a highly qualified teacher in the classroom. Then we have to make sure that those who apply for the teacher training have what they need in their luggage to get in and be qualified and ready to complete the study, says Høyre’s deputy leader. These are exempt These are exempt from all requirements: Østfold University College Primary school teacher training for grades 1–7 Primary school teacher training for grades 5–10 Volda University College Primary school teacher training for grades 1–7 Primary school teacher training for grades 5–10 Høgskulen på Vestlandet Primary school teacher training for grades 1–7 Primary school teacher training for grades 5–10 NLA University College Primary school teacher training for grades 1–7 Primary school teacher training for grades 5–10 Nord University Primary school teacher training for grades 1–7 Primary school teacher training for grades 5–10 Sami Primary school teacher training for grades 1–7 Teacher training in practical and aesthetic subjects for grades 1– 13 Lecturer training Primary school teacher training for grades 1–10 Oslo Met – Storbyuniversitetet Teacher training in practical and aesthetic subjects for grades 1–13, design, art and craft UiT – The Arctic University of Norway Primary school teacher training for grades 1–7 Primary school teacher training for grades 5–10 Lecturer training in science Lecturer training in language and social studies University of Southeast Norway Primary school teacher training for grades 1–7 Primary school teacher training for grades 5–10 Teacher training in practical and aesthetic subjects for grades 1–13 These educations are exempt from the grade requirement in mathematics: Høgskolen i Innlandet Primary school teacher training for grades 5– 10 Lecturer training Teacher training in practical and aesthetic subjects for grades 1–13 MF science college University of Agder Primary school teacher training for grades 5–10 Lecturer training with English in the first academic year Lecturer training with foreign languages in the first academic year Lecturer education with history first academic year Lecturer education with sports in the first academic year Lecturer education with Norwegian in the first year of study Lecturer training with religion in the first year of study Lecturer training with social studies in the first year of study These courses are exempted from the grade requirement in mathematics and the requirement for school credits: Sami university Primary school teacher training for grades 1–7 Primary school teacher training for grades 5–10 Source: Ministry of Education Grades stand for failure ? The Center Party has already stated that the grade requirements for nursing education are on the way out. It is not known how long the requirements for teacher training will remain the same. – We have full confidence that the educational institutions will be able to equip them with a very good education of good quality, says Hoel. The rector at Østfold University College does not fear a drop in quality and has initiated several extra measures and follow-up. – It is not the case that you must always carry what you once did, and the level you once managed, as a measure of what you can actually manage for the rest of your life, says Lars-Petter Jelsness-Jørgensen. Published 29.06.2024, at 21.13
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Universities and colleges remove grade requirements for teacher training – news Østfold – Local news, TV and radio
