60% of children in Oslo district live in poverty

Grønland district of OsloGrønland district of Oslo: Tore Meek / NTB scanpix

A location analysis carried out on behalf of the municipality said that the area of Grønland in Oslo has major challenges with child poverty, and the upbringing environment during childhood.

 

 

‘The most serious factor is that 60% of children grow up in poverty. Nowhere else in Norway is near that figure’, said researcher,

Ingar Brattbakk,’ of the Labour Research Institute at Oslo University College and Akershus to Aftenposten newspaper. Brattbakk led the work on the report.

‘It’s also demanding that in Grønland’s outdoor areas, there is a struggle with drug addicts, and mentally unstable people,’ said the researcher, saying that this added to the demands of the upbringing environment.

Another challenge is that school results in the area are among the weakest in Oslo. The percentage of children with lower than 3.5 in average grades is particularly high in Grønland, Nedre Tøyen, and Enerhaugen, according to the analysis.

Furthermore, few places have a higher percentage of newly arrived migrants from Asia, Africa, and South America, which poses major integration challenges.

The proportion of those who have a low standard of education, are unemployed, and living in sheltered accommodation is among the highest in the capital.

The report marks the start of an area uplift for Grønland, according to the model of the Groruddals initiative, said city councillor.Hanna Marcussen of the Miljøpartiet De Grønne political party (Green – MDG).

City council leader, Raymond Johansen of Arbeiderpartiet (AP), said that from 2018, more funds will be spent on area initiatives.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today