Støre wants to give municipalities a veto on private schools – VG

On Friday, the Labor Party will present its new program proposal before the next parliamentary elections. Labor leader Jonas Gahr Støre has led work to forge the new policy.

The Støre and Ap program committee warns of more austerity measures for private schools. In the proposed program, the Labor Party:

• Say no to the establishment of new commercial private schools and toughen the Private Schools Act.
• Introduce a local veto so that the municipalities and municipalities of the county can control the scope of private schools and take into account the total local school supply.

Støre says this is necessary to strengthen the public, the Norwegian joint school.

– Privatization is gaining momentum with this government. Several thousand students now go to private schools which undermine the opportunity to plan a good school offer for all, Støre tells VG, adding:

-We do not say no, but there must be a political authority that can have control and control this, he says.

Will strengthen districts

– How do these offers erode the common school?

– The money follows the student. If a limited private offering is created that pulls students out of a public high school, the money must follow. So the public upper secondary school can have such big problems that the county municipality has to close it, says Støre.

Støre says that upper secondary schools that are established in the middle of a city can cause upper secondary schools a bit outside the city to close.

– Students are more likely to stay and develop where they grew up where we have high schools recruiting and working. If upper secondary school breaks down, girls in particular move out and come back to a lesser extent. This is an example of how centralization takes place, he says.

– This also has to do with private elections. There are many students and parents who are happy with the private school. What is your message to those who want a different kind of school or a different kind of offer?

– I want a common school that is varied, that can specialize. Who, for example, can bet on sports. We have a separate item in our program to make it easy for particularly talented students to be offered to continue, says Støre.

– We had a law on private schools during our government that was opened to alternative pedagogy and other types of schools. There is a long tradition of this in Norway, he says.

He says he also has a great understanding of those fighting for the local district school, but says local politicians need to get the big picture and make good decisions at the local level.

– Isn’t this a no to all kinds of private schools?

– No, says Støre.

Will attract teachers

Stør will also have a new program for teachers to return to the profession, if he becomes prime minister.

– Today, half of those who teach special education are not qualified. It’s an expression that something went very wrong, Støre tells VG.

– We want a program to recruit teachers who have left school and are working in the community. We want them to go back to school. Many of them say they want to be teachers, they love the profession. The same goes for health sciences. But the way back can be tortuous and we need to make it more open.