Fostering Academic Excellence

Abstract

The Nordic nations, including Norway, have excelled in educational quality and equity. Norway has developed a unique political consensus on education, putting behind its ideological difference in quality education. A notable feature of the Norwegian curriculum is differentiated instruction facilitating a safe and inclusive learning environment, decentralised rights and responsibilities to teachers, solidarity rooted in Christian values, choice-based streaming in the three-year upper secondary level, physical and health education, and enriched life skills and moral values. The policy intention is clear for a shift from ‘assessment for learning' towards ‘assessment of learning' evident in the ‘compulsory mapping tests' to diagnose students with learning difficulties and subsequent supports. Though Norwegian school education is of high quality, a few issues need attention, like the inadequacy of school resources, deficiency in focus on skill education, and stress among teachers. LK20 is an attempt to respond to these challenges.