Why have politicians allowed the differences to grow so large in the Oslo School

Why have politicians allowed the differences to grow so large in the Oslo school? At our school there are children who do not speak Norwegian, or whose Norwegian skills are too poor to understand the teacher They have a claim to mother tongue training and bilingual professional training, but we do not get the resources for that.

No one can be surprised by the sad statistics showing the segregation in the Oslo school, as Aftenposten presented on 5 February Why have responsible politicians allowed the differences to grow so great? That the school is one of the most important factors in leveling social differences is an established claim by politicians on both the left and the right.

There is a disclaimer Today, a policy is pursued that maintains and reinforces social differences.

At the same time, politicians push the responsibility for equalizing the differences down the system to the individual school, principal and teacher As if the school is a deserted island with no influence from the outside world.

Welfare state that has failed Segregation in Oslo is the result of an intended policy and a welfare state that has failed In addition, free school choice and unit price funding have reinforced the ethnic and social dividing lines because this combination provides poor framework conditions for the schools with the greatest need.

Do you seriously believe that teachers and principals in an underfunded school should be able to equalize social differences? Since 2006, the number of children in the low-income group has increased by 70 8 per cent.

At the same time, we have tripled the number of urban areas where more than 40 per cent of children live in poverty Aftenposten writes about young people in our district who are vulnerable to being recruited by criminal networks.

About young people who refer to themselves as "outdoor children" because their homes are too small for them to be at home when their younger siblings need to sleep Child poverty can lead to poorer physical and mental health, and the children have an increased risk of having challenges at school.

Demanding lives and difficult living conditions affect children's receptivity to learning Where will the measures go? At the school where I work, 92 per cent of the pupils are minority speakers, and 70 per cent have decided on special Norwegian education.

Only 67 percent of the children who attend school start here 33 percent of parents in the school district choose another school for their children.

Why don't politicians, who embrace the joint school, do something about this problem? Where will the measures be, the resources and money that make parents choose the community school for their children? Is there no money in the school budget At our school there are several children in every class who do not speak Norwegian, or whose Norwegian skills are too poor to understand what the teacher is saying According to the Education Act, these pupils are entitled to both mother tongue training and bilingual subject training, but we do not get the resources for that.

There is real child poverty at the school, and we have extra equipment such as winter shoes and winter suits for some children We know that their parents don't have the money to buy new ones when their children need a new size.

Like many other teachers, I have scoured flea markets and finn no and paid out of my own pocket for the pupils to have nice toys at school, which I know give the children good experiences and important language learning.

There is no money in the school budget for dollhouses, legos and kapla bricks Not getting the help they need Some families with children have trauma from war and abuse, but they don't get the help they need in the system to process them.

We have many child protection cases, but child protection in the district is underfunded and does not have enough resources for the necessary preventive measures More children receive decisions about special education, but no extra funds follow when the decisions are made during the school year.

The school is multicultural, and at the parent meetings there may be a need for ten different interpreters at one stage The cost of one parents' meeting can be equivalent to one month's salary for an assistant.

Vulnerable children with a difficult life This is the reality in many schools in districts exposed to living conditions It is obvious that schools like ours have completely different resource needs than schools with a different pupil base.

These needs are probably not reflected in the budgets We need time to follow up vulnerable children with a difficult life.

For our students, it is crucial that the school has a high teacher density - and we need more teachers in each and every classroom Nevertheless, the school has to cut four teaching positions this year due to a tight budget.

This is incomprehensible after all politicians throughout the pandemic have spoken with concern about vulnerable children Needs a redistributive budget policy It is great that children in Oslo have been offered free core time at AKS, and that our school can offer free school breakfast.

For many, it means a lot We have been lucky, because as one of the few schools, we have received project funds for an investment in a trauma-sensitive approach and language-developing teaching.

But some extra and short-term funds are nowhere near what we need to give the children an equal education What we need, is a redistributive budget policy: Good social benefits.

Well-functioning Childcare A Fair Housing Policy

More and universal offers for children and young people Social equalization requires comprehensive politics and a common political will that pulls in the same direction.

Everyone knows how dangerous it is if the class divisions, outsiders and segregation become even greater We are many committed and competent teachers who go to work every day with high ambitions to give the children a rich school life with mastery, learning, friendship and joy.

We can achieve that, but not for buttons and glossy images in an underfunded school And we can't do it alone.

Social equalization requires comprehensive politics and a common political will that pulls in the same direction Everyone knows how dangerous it is if the class divisions, outsiders and segregation become even greater.

We are many committed and competent teachers who go to work every day with high ambitions to give the children a rich school life with mastery, learning, friendship and joy We can achieve that, but not for buttons and glossy images in an underfunded school.

And we can't do it alone Social equalization requires comprehensive politics and a common political will that pulls in the same direction.

Everyone knows how dangerous it is if the class divisions, outsiders and segregation become even greater We are many committed and competent teachers who go to work every day with high ambitions to give the children a rich school life with mastery, learning, friendship and joy.

We can achieve that, but not for buttons and glossy images in an underfunded school And we can't do it alone.

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