All children in Norway must attend school for ten years, so called «grunnskole», which comprises primary and lower secondary education.
- Primary school (1st to 7th grade)
- Lower secondary school (8th to 10th grade)
Children start school in August of the year in which they turn six.
All public primary and lower secondary education is free.
After completing primary/lower secondary education or similar, young people are entitled to three years of upper secondary education. While the first ten grades of school are a municipal responsibility, upper secondary school is managed by the county administration.
School districts and zones
Bærum kommune is divided into 26 primary school districts and 13 lower secondary school districts. Children have the right to attend the school in the district in which they reside. You may apply for admission to another school, however, placement is contingent upon place availability at the time.
Registration
All children registered with the population register will receive information on how to register with a school in October the year in which they turn five. Last day for registration is 1 November. You will receive confirmation of placement in February.
School bus service
First-graders who live more than two kilometres from their school and children in 2nd-10th grade who live more than four kilometres from their school, have the right to be bussed to and from school. If you choose to send your child to a school outside the school district, you will lose the right to the school bus service.
After-school activity programme (SFO)
Schools provide an after-school programme, called SFO, for children in 1st-4th grades. Please call our service centre, Veiledningstorget, on 67 50 40 50 for information on how to apply.
School healthcare
The school healthcare programme is run by a nurse, a doctor and a physiotherapist at the school. It involves health examinations and follow ups, as well as a vaccination programme. All children in Bærum schools are covered by the school healthcare programme, which also offers counselling and specialist referrals for children with special problems.
Speakers of minority languages
Pupils with a mother tongue other than Norwegian or Sami who are attending primary or lower secondary school, are entitled to special language education until they are sufficiently proficient to follow the normal instruction of the school.
Speakers of minority languages
In Norway education is compulsory for all children, and all children are entitled to primary and lower secondary education in the public school system. The right to education applies when it is probable that the child will be in Norway for more than three months. The right to education must be acted upon as soon as possible, and at the latest within one month. Education becomes compulsory when the stay has lasted three months. As for any other Norwegian pupil, this right to education and compulsory attendance is in effect until the student has completed year ten.
Special language education for pupils from language minorities
Pupils with a mother tongue other than Norwegian or Sami who are attending primary or lower secondary school, are entitled to special language education until they are sufficiently proficient to follow the normal instruction of the school (§ 2-8 of the Norwegian Education Act).
Special language education consists of:
- Special education in Norwegian: Adapted language classes
- Mother tongue instruction: Language classes
- Bilingual teaching: Subject instruction given by a bilingual teacher in both Norwegian and the pupil’s mother tongue
Special education in Norwegian is the main component. To the extent possible and subject to availability of qualified teachers, Bærum municipality will offer bilingual teaching across subjects for pupils in year 1-10. Bilingual teaching is however not offered for other Western European languages but Spanish. Bærum municipality does not offer mother tongue instruction.
Introductory classes
In Bærum municipality special language education is offered to newly arrived pupils in introductory classes at Evje and Hauger. The pupils can stay in the introductory classes for up to two years.
One of the main goals for the instruction is the development of linguistic confidence and self-assurance. The teaching shall promote development in Norwegian language proficiency that enable pupils to follow regular classes in Norwegian. Pupils shall be helped, through the development of good learning strategies and insight into their own language learning, to develop their Norwegian language skills as quickly as possible.
All children have the right to attend the local school. Newly arrived pupils are entitled to attend their local school, unless they accept an offer of time limited attendance in one of the introductory classes at a different school were such classes are offered.
Interpreter
Good communication is important both to safeguard the rights of children and young people and to prevent misunderstandings between the home and the school. An interpreter can be used in the communication between school and home. The interpreter will render in Norwegian what the parents say in their language, and render what the school's employees say in Norwegian. An interpreter should not participate in the conversation himself, but may ask questions to clarify the ambiguities in the language. In cases that require a professional interpreter, children should not be used as interpreters. Spouses, relatives, neighbors or co-workers of the parents should preferably also not be used as an interpreter.