First day of school excitement grips Norway as students prepare for new year

Teachers have had their planning days, and students are gathering their school supplies. The youngest pupils are getting new clothes for their first day of school, and soon they will eagerly stand in the schoolyard alongside proud parents and grandparents. There too will be a principal, prepared with a brief welcome speech, hastily scribbled on a piece of paper, while the sound system awaits its first use since the teachers’ Christmas party.

Across the country, one thing unites everyone: everyone remembers their first day of school. But how much do you really know about the school system, both past and present?

In the past, children started school at age seven, and primary school lasted nine years. The introduction of six-year-olds starting school was officially adopted in 1997, extending the duration of primary education to ten years.

Physical education, or “gym,” has various names, but its origin comes from the Greek term “gymnos,” meaning “naked.” This reflects the historical context in which physical training took place.

Class sizes vary significantly, with no official limit on the number of students per class anymore. Previously, laws stipulated a maximum of 28 for primary and 30 for secondary classes.

Saturday classes have been discontinued since 1973, marking a change in the school week structure. Homework, often viewed unfavorably, was a necessity in the 1800s when teachers traveled to different villages, requiring students to practice between visits.

The head of the school, or principal, derives from the Latin term for “ruler.” Vaccinations against several diseases begin during primary school, with polio often being the first administered.

Students may often need restroom breaks during lessons, and teachers cannot deny them this necessity. Lastly, the use of tablets in schools has become controversial, with around 250,000 iPads utilized across Norwegian classrooms, reflecting a significant shift in educational tools.