Introduction

The National Quality Assessment System (NQAS) was adopted by Parliament in 2003 and introduced in 2004. In 2013 the name was changed to Quality Assessment System (QAS). The name change signalled that the system is primarily intended for schools and school owners. The system also contains data on vocational education and training (VET) in upper secondary schools and in training establishments. A system for quality in kindergarten has been developed and implemented since 2014.

The aim is to promote quality development throughout kindergarten, primary education, lower secondary and upper secondary education and training. National and local plans and goals are the basis for this systematic process. The quality assessment system consists of a knowledge base, tools, procedures, and goals for key actors on different levels.

The system provides schools and school owners with relevant and reliable data on learning outcomes, learning environment, completion of upper secondary education, resources, and school facts.

In April 2022 a Committee was appointed by the government to review and further develop the quality assessment system. The government wants to develop the quality assessment system into a system that places more emphasis on academic and pedagogical quality development, and which does not contribute to “micromanagement” and extensive reporting and documentation requirements. A quality development system should consist of tools, tests and data sources that together contribute to reflection, learning and development in individual schools and enable schools, school owners and national education authorities to make informed choices. The Committee for Quality Development presented its recommendations in 2023 in two reports (NOU 2023: 1 and NOU 2023: 27). The last report has been sent on public consultation and will path the way for the government’s follow-up of the committee’s recommendations. 

Laws and regulations oblige kindergarten owners (private) and municipalities as kindergarten owners to take a systematic approach to quality development in kindergartens, and county authorities to take a systematic approach to quality development in  schools. This requires involvement and dialogue both within an organization and between different responsible bodies. There are also private boards responsible for governance of private schools. 

The system emphasises the necessity of seeing the quality process as a continuous and recurrent one, involving assessment of information, analysis, target-setting, planning changes to practices, implementation, and subsequent assessment of the outcomes of the changed practices.

A consistent approach to quality assessment requires a proactive and enduring effort on the part of kindergarten owners and leaders, school owners and school leaders, and business owners employing apprentices. National and local quality assessments can provide valuable background information for each individual kindergarten, school, local authority, county authority, and business. However, the value of this information depends on there being consistency and correlation at a local level between different phases and actors in the quality process.

A quality process that comes to have a real impact on improving practices in education is distinguished by a number of key factors:

• Correlation and continuity throughout the annual cycle linking political processes on the part of the local education authorities and the schools’ own quality processes with quality assessment and quality development
• Systematically linking the use of the tools in the national quality system and local quality processes
• Clearly formulated targets and for everyone to understand what they should do to help meet those targets
• Active involvement of the various professions within the organisation in all phases of the local/county authority’s quality processes
• An open, inquisitive, and investigative approach to the quality processes

Administrative and legislative framework

The Kindergarten Act (Act No. 64 of June 2005 relating to Kindergartens) and the Framework Plan for the Content and Tasks of Kindergartens (a regulation under the Kindergarten Act). Chapter 4 of the Framework Plan addresses planning, documentation, and assessment and describes the responsibility of the staff.

Framework plan for SFO (udir.no) This framework plan applies to the work in out-of-school-hours care (SFO). SFO must facilitate play, cultural and leisure activities based on the age, functional level and interests of the children, and provide the children with care and supervision. This is pursuant to Section 13-7 of the Education Act

The Education Act (Act No. 61 of 17 July 1998) with associated regulations, including the national curriculum for primary and secondary education (LK 2020). The Education Act relates to public primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education. The Education Act Section 13.10 and Chapter 2 of the associated regulations address the school owner’s responsibility for the quality of the education.

The Independent Schools Act (Act No. 84 of 4 July 2003) with associated regulations regulates private primary and secondary education (schools seeking approval for state grants). The Independent Schools Act Section 5-2 stipulates that every school must have a system in place to ensure that national legislation is adhered to. The legislation contains a number of rules which, as a whole, shall ensure that every pupil receives a safe, qualitative and quantitative education.

The Act relating to municipalities and county municipalities, chapter 25 section 25-1 states: Municipalities and county authorities shall have internal control of the administration's activity to ensure that laws and regulations are complied with. The chief municipal executive of the municipality or the county authority is responsible for the internal control.

The internal control shall be systematic and adjusted to the size, distinctive character, activities and risk factors of the activity.

In the event of internal control pursuant to this paragraph, the chief municipal executive shall

• prepare a description of the activity's main tasks, objectives and organisation
• have the necessary routines and procedures
• identify and follow-up non-conformance and risk of non-conformance
• document the internal control in the form and the extent necessary
• evaluate and when required improve written procedures and other internal control measures.