Illegal to differentiate between kindergartens

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

Torbjørn Røe Isaksen: – Not legal to differentiate between kindergartens

The Ministry of Education believes that municipalities can not discriminate between private and ideal kindergartens as the law allows for dividends for private participants.

 

Municipalities that favor ideal kindergartens without profit, violate the law, says the Ministry of Education. The Labour Party in Trondheim argues that the Ministry is organizing an ideological battle in favour of commercial nurseries, writes Klassekampen.

– Rather than being keen to ensure the opportunity to earn money in kindergarten, the Minister should be concerned that the money benefits the children, says Group leader for Labour in the Trondheim City Council, Geir Waage.

He is upset after the ministry now makes it clear that they consider differential treatment of non-profit and commercial nurseries illegal. He thinks the assessment has a whiff of political jurisdiction.

Socialist municipalities against commercial kindergartens

Since 2005, the entire growth of 46,000 children in the private kindergarten sector has been in commercial kindergartens. Over the same period more than 150 ideal nurseries have disappeared.

Several municipalities governed by socialist parties, such as Oslo and Trondheim, have decided that they do not want new commercial kindergartens. These municipalities keep the door open for non-profit operators.

– The Kindergarten Act provides for the right to make a fair dividend, so you can not use that someone to make a dividend, as an argument for discrimination between private actors, answers Røe Isaksen.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today