New teachers may be relieved of paying half of student loan

Torbjørn Røe Isaksen,Minister of Trade and Industry Torbjørn Røe Isaksen ( Conservative Party )

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Those who start on teacher training in the autumn will have half of their student loan cut. Most money will go to teachers in children’s schools who takes a job in Northern Norway.

Those who start the teacher education program in the autumn, and who complete a five-year term, will get portions of their student loan deleted.

‘Government and the cooperative Venstre and Kristelig Folkeparti (KrF) have agreed to establish a new scheme for the deletion of part of student loans for students who complete the five-year teacher education’, said Education Minister, Torbjørn Røe Isaksen.

Graduates teachers will be eased of about 160,000, approximately half of the student loan. The scheme applies only to those beginning the education in the autumn of 2017 or later.

Very good arrangement,

The scheme is threefold. Those who complete the five-year teacher education in the prescribed time will get a 50,000 reduction. Those who complete the five-year teacher education steps 1 through 7 in the stipulated time will get a further 55,000 reduction.

Finally, those who complete the five-year teacher education and then take a teaching job in Nordland, Troms or Finnmark will receive 55,000 on top of the previous reductions.

‘This is a very good arrangement which, at most, will cover about half of the loan given to new teachers.

This should make it more attractive to study to become a teacher in elementary school and take a job in northern Norway’, said Røe Isaksen.

The specific means of the measures will be given in the revised national budget in May. These will include how long one has to work as a teacher in northern Norway to receive the reduced loan repayment.

Starting salary at 480,000

From autumn, a new, five-year teacher training for all those who will teach in primary and secondary schools is to be introduced.

The new teacher training will give students more practice before they go out into the job, and more time will be devoted to academic study.

‘By taking the Masters Education for teachers, you receive a solid and good education, while being provided with a good starting salary. A teacher with a Masters degree currently receives a starting salary of 480,000, stressed Røe Isaksen.

Norway will need more than 35,000 new teachers over the next decade to replace unskilled workers and teachers who are retiring.

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