ECNAIS

 

National Report

 

  1. Name of  Association

Association of Independent Christian Schools in Norway (KFF)

  1. Country

Norway

  1. Year

2005

  1. Prepared by

Helge Vatne/Torgeir Flateby

  1. New national legislation for independent schools:

 

Please describe new laws which are in force or are being prepared.

 

 

1st of October 2003 a new legislation regulating independent schools became operative. All kinds of private, non-profit schools at primary and lower secondary level became authorised for financial support if the school meets the requirements of quality and content. 1st of December 2004 the upper secondary level was included in the legislation and given corresponding possibilities to be authorized for State grants without being religious or pedagogical alternatives.

All these reforms were worked out by the centre-right government lead by prime minister Bondevik. In the  parliamentary elections in September the Bondevik coalition lost to the Labour Party leaders centre-left coalition. Norway has now its first majority government for 20 years.

The new government has promised to revise the legislation for independent school. They will accept independent schools with a religious or pedagogical alternative profile, but not others.

  1. National discussions:

 

Discussions about the situation of the independent schools.

Does the discussions take place in the media, if yes, which questions are raised.

Up to a couple of years ago, private schools could be approved by the authorities and get state support only if they had a special religious/ethical basis or educational philosophy. For the moment anybody can start a non-profit school, and it does not have to be different from the state school in basis and purpose. But the new government will probably turn back to the old legislation.

Especially the change of legislation in December 2004, which concerned the upper secondary level, increased the number of applications quite a lot. This fact has made a number of politicians fear for the public schools.

The great interest of starting new independent schools has lead to many news articles and big discussions in the medias.

Authorized independent schools (private, non-profit schools) now receive 85% of the running costs in public schools as financial support from the state. Two of the parties in the centre-left coalition in government, the socialist ones, have earlier voted for cutting down this support. But the basis document for the government coalition does not declare any reduction in state support to independent schools.

  1. Situation of the Association:

 

Progress, stagnation, decline.

Problems, challenges for the Association.

 

 

 

The number of Christian schools is slowly increasing, and so is the number of member schools in KFF. However, the number of primary schools for missionary kids abroad is decreasing, so the total number of member schools is the same as last year.

We now have 118 member schools at primary and secondary level.

  1. Independent schools in general.

 

Growth or decline?

The schools’ financial situation?

2,1 % of the children attend independent schools at primary and lower secondary level. At upper secondary level the percentage is 5 %.

There is a slow growth at the primary level. At the upper secondary level there has been a large increase of independent schools this autumn because of the changes in legislation in December 2004.

  1. Special initiatives:

 

Has the Association during the past year made any particular initiatives in order to promote the work in the independent schools?

 

 

We arrange seminaries for school leaders in subjects as economy, media relations, Christian education etc.

This year we have arranged several conferences for board members in Christian schools about the new legislation, but also generally about  running free schools

The new legislation has created some challenges for already existing schools. An independent school has now to be registered as a judicial person. The former legislation for independent school accepted schools to be a part of an organisation or a church. KFF has made a great effort to give the member schools enough competence to reorganize.

 

  1. Other relevant information.