Curriculum, subjects, number of hours

The National Curriculum for Knowledge Promotion in Primary and Secondary Education and Training ('Kunnskapsløftet 2020') encompasses the 10-year compulsory primary and secondary education as well as upper secondary education and training as a whole. There are about 500 subject curricula comprising subjects in the 10-year compulsory education and in upper secondary education and training, including common core subjects in primary and secondary education and training. A separate Sami curriculum ('Kunnskapsløftet Samisk') is to cover the overall education of pupils living in certain Sami administrative regions where there are long traditions of Sami language and culture. 

The curriculum after the 2020 Subject Renewal Reform ('Fagfornyelsen') consists of:

• The Core Curriculum
• Subject Curricula
• A framework for distribution of teaching hours per subject

The Core Curriculum builds on the objectives of the Education Act, and describes how schools are to foster pupils’ formative development, as well as the values, cultural aspects and knowledge-related aspects that form the basis for primary and secondary education. 

One of the aims of the reform Subject Renewal 2020 was to strengthen the connection between the Core Curriculum and the individual subject curricula by integrating key elements of the former into each subject. 

The Ministry of Education and Research issues regulations on the total number of teaching hours in different subjects during each stage in compulsory education (the Framework for Regulating the Distribution of Periods and Subjects). The municipalities are free to offer children more teaching periods than the minimum. The municipalities are responsible for the distribution of teaching hours at each stage.

Compulsory education in Norway covers grades 1–10 and includes a broad range of subjects. The curriculum comprises subjects in languages, mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, religions and ethics, arts and crafts, music, physical education, food and health, and vocationally oriented subjects in lower secondary education. All pupils follow a common core curriculum, although schools and municipalities may organise teaching in different ways within the framework of national regulations. 

The detailed allocation of teaching time by subject and grade is determined through national regulations. The Ministry of Education and Research establishes the minimum number of teaching hours for compulsory education, while municipalities may provide additional teaching hours. 

Language education forms a central part of compulsory education in Norway. Norwegian is the main language of instruction, while separate curricula exist for Sami language and Sami-language education in designated areas. English is a compulsory subject throughout compulsory education and is introduced from the first year of primary education. Pupils in lower secondary education may choose an additional foreign language, most commonly French, German or Spanish, or alternative language-related options where available.

Pupils whose first language is neither Norwegian nor Sami may be entitled to adapted language instruction, including special Norwegian language tuition and, where necessary, mother tongue instruction and/or bilingual subject teaching, in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act.

The Ministry of Education and Research establishes the minimum teaching time allocated to subjects during compulsory education through the Framework for the Distribution of Teaching Hours. While the total minimum number of teaching hours is regulated nationally, municipalities have flexibility in how teaching hours are distributed across grade levels and may provide additional teaching time beyond the national minimum requirements.

Teaching methods and materials

One of the main principles set for the National Curriculum is the introduction of more freedom at local level with respect to local curriculum work, teaching methods teaching materials. Decisions on content within the frames of the national curriculum are delegated to the teaching institutions.

The subject curricula contain clear competence goals at specified grades. In assigning such skills targets, the subject curricula are expressing high academic ambitions for all pupils, who in varying degrees should be able to reach the targets that have been set. Each pupil shall be stimulated to the best realisation of his or her goals through differentiated education. If a pupil is not benefiting properly from ordinary lessons, he or she is entitled to special tuition. Under the National Curriculum, schools are to prioritise the cultivation of basic skills. The curriculum has emphasised five basic skills in being able to express oneself orally and in writing, in reading, in numeracy and in the use of digital tools. The basic skills are embedded in all subject curricula, reflecting their role as a fundamental prerequisite for learning and competence development across the curriculum. All teachers are therefore responsible for enabling pupils to develop basic skills through their work in various subjects. An emphasis on reading and writing from the first grade in the 10-year compulsory school is an integral part of the National Curriculum.

The subject curricula focus on active, enterprising and independent pupils. Pupils should learn by doing, exploring and experimenting, and in so doing should acquire new knowledge and understanding. The working methods chosen should contribute to the process whereby pupils develop new perspectives and encounter new impulses. The working methods should also present them with challenges, which, together with their active participation and individual efforts, will build up their competence and self-respect. Suitably adapted education presupposes a variety of methods to allow for the different abilities and aptitudes of the pupils.

Teaching materials comprise textbooks, ICT-related aids, sound and images produced with specific learning objectives in view. There are no prescribed textbooks. Items originally produced for other purposes, such as newspaper articles, feature films or literary works, can also be used as learning material. In subjects other than Norwegian, teaching materials may only be used when they are simultaneously available in both Bokmål and Nynorsk at the same time and at the same price. In special cases the Ministry may make exceptions from this rule. 

Local education authorities are responsible for supplying schools with teaching aids which are free for pupils. Teaching materials should motivate and activate pupils and help them to develop good working habits. They should encourage both independent work and collaboration between pupils. Teaching materials must be chosen so as to serve the purposes of varied and individually adapted work, including for pupils with special educational needs. Teaching materials are not subject to government overview with the exception of those produced through the public grant scheme. Government policy in this case is that teaching materials should recognise universal design and diverse cultural backgrounds.

There are no national regulations specifying the amount of homework pupils should receive in compulsory education. Decisions concerning homework are made at local and school level as part of teachers' professional autonomy and schools' responsibility for organising teaching and learning. National policy emphasises that homework, where used, should support pupils' learning and be adapted to their age, abilities and educational needs.