Tuesday, April 17, Norwegian daily Kommunal Rapport (Municipal Report) reports that the UDIR (Norwegian Directorate of Education & Training) has denied the second application it’s received from an organization seeking to open a private, Muslim primary school within Oslo.
In late 2017, the same organization’s first application to UDIR for a private charter was also declined.
UDIR gave a statement outlining the latest denial of Muslim charter application, saying that a ‘Muslim-Only’ school in Oslo would have negative consequences upon students seeking to integrate with Norwegian society. The council further stated that the rejected application also failed to meet minimum requirements as mandated within the Free State Act.
The declined application was submitted by Muslim foundation Den Muslimske Grunnskole (The Muslim Primary School), who intend to file formal complaint to UDIR for review.
Den Muslimske Grunnskole’s private charter school application called for a Muslim school within Oslo’s Muslim-populated Gronland district, seating 200 students and offering classes from grades 1 – 10. The charter application notes that student instruction would be presented in Norwegian.
If a formal complaint is received by UDIR from the Muslim group, the UDIR would review the complaint and, if further upheld, the Muslim group could then challenge UDIR’s denial to Norway’s Ministry of Education for a final decision.
In 2014, the ministry recalled the charter of another Oslo Muslim school, giving a statement that the charter for ‘Modre for Musimsk Grunnskole’ (Mothers for a Muslim Primary School) had connections with a troubled Urtehagen school.
The latest application to charter a Muslim school within Oslo was considered under new, 2017 laws that allows the Directorate of Education & Education Ministry wide discretion in granting, declining or revoking private school charters.
The Norwegian Directorate for Education & Training is tasked with development of Norway’s kindergarten, primary & secondary educational programs.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
Good sense prevailed!