Politicians Shocked and Annoyed by Christian Private Schools – NRK Dokumentar

There have been strong reactions after the episode about the Church of God in the documentary series “God’s chosen ones.”

– It is unacceptable that Christian private schools violate the rights of the child under the Constitution and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, says parliamentary representative Freddy André Øvstegård (SV).

The Church of God, with just under 500 members, has had its own private schools since the 1990s for the children of its congregations in Vikten and Ørsnes. During the period that both schools have been in operation, they have received NOK 184 million in state support.

Already in the spring of 2019, the Directorate of Children, Youth and Families (Bufdir) issued a serious and comprehensive report of concern about the conditions of raising children in the Church of God. New warnings have also recently been sent to the Norwegian Directorate of Education.

An important theme in the warnings is that children are isolated from the outside world in the private schools of the religious community.

– Outraged by the degree of isolation

– I was shocked, annoyed and surprised. The fundamental rights of children under the Constitution and the Convention on the Rights of the Child may have been violated, says Torstein Tvedt Solberg, the Labor Party’s education policy spokesman.

He did not know that schools existed and was surprised that such a small religious community had two private schools.

– What bothered me the most were the stories of the children who have gone to school. The degree of isolation they have experienced. And the strict religious rules that children must follow, says the parliamentary representative.

Solberg believes that the weakness of the current system is that when you commit to starting this type of private school, you actually have a very limited opportunity to exercise control.

He has already sent questions to the Minister of Education, Guri Melby (V), where he asks the Government to answer how they handle the revelations that come out and how they will be related to the report of concern.

The parliamentary representative of the Labor Party also calls for a thorough inspection of the school from the Directorate of Education.

– they are provoking me

– I am provoked when it appears that the Directorate of Education has only made a written inspection of the school, says SV representative Øvstegård.

He believes that Brennpunkt’s revelations show that there is very little control over Christian private schools.

– If there is negative social control, isolation and psychological violence against children, the school must lose its permission immediately, says the parliamentary representative of SV.

He has also sent questions to the Minister:

– Rough fractures that appear

It is not just politicians who react. Save the Children refers to article 14 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states that all children have freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

– Save the Children is very concerned about the large fractures appearing in Brennpunkt. It is quite clear that better supervision is needed here, where the Directorate of Education in a child-friendly way really talks to the children in question, says Monica Sydgård, director of the Save the Children Norway program.

Save the Children and Hjelpekilden published an informational brochure in 2019, in which young people with a strict religious background provide advice and explanations that will make it easier to understand and be able to help.

– What is shown on NRK agrees well with what other young people in such settings have told Save the Children and Hjelpekilden. They are concerned about better oversight being carried out to ensure that children’s rights are safeguarded, says Sydgård.

– Considering talking to students

The directors of the private schools in Ørsnes and Vikten reject that the children in their schools are isolated and say that they work in accordance with all laws and regulations, in close collaboration with the health nurse, school team, child welfare, BUP and PPT.

In a reader post on Lofotposten, the head of the Ørsnes private school writes: “We encourage Bufdir and Udir to come immediately for on-site supervision, something we have also asked several times.”

The Directorate of Education conducted a written inspection at both schools this spring. The audit ended in formal requirements for, among other things, meeting minutes and admission standards.

– The schools have given us a statement and explained how they will correct the errors that we found, writes Idun Klette Låhne in the Directorate of Education.

– Then we will consider visiting schools to talk with students and teachers. We cannot comment on the progress of the case while we are in a process and we are in dialogue with the schools. Udir will first investigate whether schools meet the requirements of the Independent Schools Act, and that also means students’ right to a good and safe learning environment, Låhne responds.

– Priority is given to the case

The Secretary of State, in the Ministry of Education, Grunde Almeland (V) says that the notifications that have arrived against the two private schools are taken seriously.

– All children have the right to a safe and good school environment where education is based on human dignity, universal human rights, respect and equality.

In addition, they refer to the Directorate of Education, which supervises the schools that are approved under the Free Schools Law.

– We have ensured that the case is given higher priority. Since the ministry will be the appeals body for decisions made by the Directorate of Education, we cannot comment further on the cases, says Almeland.