Government proposal to apply good Norwegian as a requirement for kindergarten staff

Torbjørn Røe Isaksen ResearchOslo.Minister of Industry, Torbjørn Røe Isaksen (Conservative Party).Photo : Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB scanpix

This Friday, the Norwegian government submitted a proposal stating that people with a foreigner mother tongue that want to work at a kindergarten need to speak ‘good’ Norwegian.

 

“One of the most important aspects of the kindergarten is to develop a child’s language abilities. It is therefore important to have staff that can help them to develop these abilities”, says the Minister of Education, Torbjørn Røe Isaksen in a press release.

Studies have shown that one out of three kindergartens with staff that speak a minority language, do not speak good enough Norwegian to communicate well with parents, children and colleagues.

The proposal implies that anyone who applies for a job in a kindergarten in the future must have passed a Norwegian exam and have achieved a certain level of the examinations in written presentation, listening comprehension and oral communication. The requirement applies primarily to applicants without a teacher education. People who have completed primary- or secondary school in Norway are excluded.

The proposal suggests that the requirement of good Norwegian do not apply to kindergartens with a main language other than Norwegian.

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today