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1. Cross-sectorial cooperation

2. Governance

Cross-sectorial cooperation

The “0-24 cooperation” is a cross-sectoral initiative of the Directorate of Health, the Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs, the Directorate of Labour and Welfare, the Directorate for Integration and Diversity and the Directorate for Education to support and strengthen necessary coordination and cooperation in counties and municipalities, for the benefit of children and young people and their families. There is a specific emphasis on increasing the successful completion rate in upper secondary school [videregående skole].

The Ministry of Culture, and the Ministry of Education and Research cooperate on drafting and implementing policy on youth culture, as many of the youth culture programmes are aimed towards young people in schools.

Governance

The Norwegian Parliament and the Government define the goals and decide the framework for the education sector. The Ministry of Education and Research is responsible for primary and secondary school, upper secondary and tertiary vocational education and higher education sectors,  kindergartens, cultural schools, vocational education and training and adult learning. The Ministry is also responsible for research and integration.

The ministry is supported by several subordinate agencies, which include:

• The Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training - the agency responsible for kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools.
• The Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT) - the agency responsible for assuring the quality of higher education in Norway, and assessing and providing information about the quality of courses in other countries.
• Skills Norway - the Norwegian Agency for Lifelong Learning, which promotes access and participation in formal, non-formal and informal adult education through research, basic skills, integration, career guidance and programmes and subsidies.
• The Norwegian Agency for International Cooperation and Quality Enhancement in Higher Education (DIKU) - the agency for international programmes and measures related to education.
• The Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund – the agency responsible for administering student grants and loans.
• Universities and University Colleges - Norway currently has 10 universities, 6 university colleges and 5 scientific colleges owned by the state. Norway also has a large number of private higher education institutions, 15 of which receive government support.

The main non-public actors taking part in the development of policies in the field of education and training for young people include:

• The Norwegian Association of Higher Education Institutions  [Universitets- og høyskolerådet - UHR] - a co-operative body for higher education institutions in Norway.
• The National Union of Students in Norway [Norsk studentorganisasjon – NSO] - the largest organisation for students in Norway. The organization has 33 member unions from higher education institutions across the country. The member unions represent more than 230 000 students. NSO’s goal is to ensure students’ academic, social and economic rights.
• School Student Union of Norway [Elevorganisasjonen - EO] – union for students in lower- and upper secondary school [ungdomsskole og videregående skole]. The Union works to provide information on student rights, and to influence the national and local school politics in Norway. .
• Organization for Norwegian Vocational Students [Organisasjon for Norske Fagskolestudenter - ONF] - union representing students in vocational schools in Norway. The Union works to provide information on student rights, and to influence the national and local school politics in Norway.  The organization offers professional counselling for vocational students.

The administration of the education system is divided into three levels: central level, county level, and municipal level with different responsibilities:

• The Ministry of Education and Research has the overall responsibility for the institutions of higher education and research.
• The counties are responsible for upper secondary education, for the running of the schools, the intake of pupils and the appointment of teachers.
• The municipalities are responsible for kindergartens, primary and lower secondary education (compulsory education), for the running of the schools, the building and maintenance of school buildings, the intake of pupils and the appointment of teachers.

See also Eurydice Country Description Norway, Chapter 2 on:

• 2.6 Administration and Governance at Central and/or Regional Level
• 2.7 Administration and Governance at Local and/or Institutional Level