Module 2

School and Education

Learn about kindergarten, school, upper secondary, trade certificates, higher education and the student loan fund.

Last updated: 2026-11-06

The education system in Norway

The Norwegian education system has four main stages:

• Kindergarten (voluntary, for children under six)
• Primary and lower secondary school (compulsory, 10 years)
• Upper secondary education (voluntary, usually 3 to 4 years)
• Higher education (university and university college)

All children have the right and the duty to receive primary and lower secondary education. We call this a duty to receive education (opplæringsplikt), not a duty to attend school. This means children must be taught, but it is allowed to teach children at home if the parents inform the municipality. The municipality supervises and checks that the teaching is good enough.

Public school is free. You do not pay tuition fees, and teaching materials are usually free in primary and lower secondary school and in upper secondary education. It is also common to take more education later in life. Norway has a clear goal of lifelong learning.

Who is responsible?

• The state decides laws and curricula. The Ministry of Education and the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training (Udir) are responsible for schools and kindergartens.
• The municipalities run kindergartens and primary and lower secondary schools.
• The county municipalities run the upper secondary schools.
• The state runs the universities and most of the university colleges.

Equality is an important principle in school. Girls and boys have equal rights to education. The school must give all children equal opportunities, no matter where they live and no matter what their parents do.

You can also go to school as an adult. If you have not completed primary and lower secondary school or upper secondary school, you can get an offer to do so as an adult. Many immigrants take Norwegian courses and vocational education here.

School is important for entering the labour market. The more education you have, the easier it is usually to find a job.

The full module and all questions are in the app.

Key points

The education system in Norway

• Four stages: kindergarten, compulsory school, upper secondary, higher education
• Compulsory school lasts 10 years
• Norway has a duty to receive education, not a duty to attend school
• Public school is free
• Municipalities run primary and lower secondary schools; counties run upper secondary

Kindergarten

• Kindergarten is voluntary, from age 1 until school start
• Children have the right to a place if they apply in time (deadline usually 1 March)
• The state sets a maximum price for parent payment
• Kindergartens follow a national framework plan
• Parents have influence through the parents' council and the coordinating committee

Primary and lower secondary school

• Children start school in the year they turn 6
• Primary school is grades 1-7 and lower secondary is grades 8-10
• Number grades from 1 to 6 are given from grade 8; 6 is best
• SFO is paid after-school care for grades 1-4
• Children who need it have the right to extra Norwegian teaching

Parents, school environment and help at school

• FAU is the parents' elected working committee at the school
• Parents' meetings and development talks are fixed ways of cooperating
• All pupils have the right to a safe and good school environment; zero tolerance for bullying
• PPT assesses the need for special education
• Pupils can be exempted from religious activities, but not from the KRLE subject

Upper secondary education

• Young people have the right to upper secondary education after compulsory school (youth right)
• Two main types: university-preparatory and vocational programmes
• Vocational is often 2 years at school and 2 years as an apprentice, giving a trade certificate
• More than 10% undocumented absence in a subject can mean no grade
• About 8 in 10 complete and pass (81.8%, started 2019)

Trade certificates, vocational college and adult education

• A trade certificate shows completed vocational education, taken after apprenticeship and trade exam
• Practice candidate: trade exam after long practice, usually at least five years
• Vocational college is short, practical higher vocational education, half a year to two years
• Adult right: the right to upper secondary from the year you turn 25
• Folk high school is a one-year boarding year without exams and grades

Higher education

• You need general study competence to apply, or real competence from age 25
• Apply through Samordna opptak, usually deadline 15 April
• Bachelor is 3 years (180 credits), master 2 years after that (300 in total)
• One study year is 60 credits
• Students pay a semester fee; new students from outside the EU/EEA pay tuition from autumn 2023

Student support and Lånekassen

• Lånekassen gives loans and grants to pupils and students
• The student loan is interest-free while you are a full-time student
• The usual repayment period is 20 years
• Up to 40% of the basic loan can be converted to a grant if you pass
• A grant is not paid back; a loan must be paid back

Sample questions from this module

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