Introduction

Norwegian local administrations (municipalities and county-municipalities) have a high degree of autonomy to solve appointed tasks by top level authorities. The same is true for education. The ‘Knowledge Promotion’ reform introduced in 2006 gave municipalities more authority for decision-making in methods of instruction, free choice of learning materials, development of curricula, and the organization of instruction.

There is emphasis on the formal educational route. Non-formal learning is acknowledged as important, particularly as provided through the voluntary sector, but there are few arrangements of formal recognition that makes informal learning directly transferrable/applicable to formal education and training.