02 - Norway - Ongoing debates and future developments
Before the Quality Reform, funding of institutions was partly based on the number of students (input).
With the new funding formula, funding is partly based on the number of students passing examinations
(output). Will departments and institutions be tempted to let weak students pass instead of fail,
because of the funding consequences? This has been debated in the media. Norway has had a
system of external examiners for all written and oral examinations in universities and university
colleges. With the Quality Reform, this was no longer required for examinations at bachelor level (also
because portfolio assessment was introduced). With no external examiners, local examiners may let
more students pass. The first report from the ongoing evaluation of the Quality Reform documented a
decrease in the percentage of failed examinations. However, this decrease started around the year
2000, before the Quality Reform. The use of the lowest pass mark (E) has not increased, this indicates
that institutions have not let the weakest students pass examinations because of economic
considerations. Other elements of the Quality Reform may contribute to fewer failed examinations:
Students are required to write more essays and be more continuously assessed. To get part of their
state loans converted to grants, students have to pass all their examinations.
The links between vocational colleges (as part of tertiary education) and higher education institutions
remains to be clarified. Part of the problem is related to the lack of a system of credit-points in the
predominantly private institutions at vocational college level. This makes it difficult to assess the scope
and depth of education taken, especially making comparability with higher education more difficult. In
several European countries, qualification frameworks are being developed to ensure better links
between and within different levels of the education system. The Ministry of Education and Research
has started the work to develop a national qualifications framework for higher education, with the
participation of relevant stakeholders. A proposal should be ready by the middle of 2007.
In May 2006, the Government appointed an official Commission with 12 members to evaluate the
structure of higher education and make recommendations for its development within a time frame of
10-20 years. The Commission will especially focus on regional aspects.
Named after its chair,
professor Steinar Stjernø, as “Stjernø-utvalget”, the Commission presented its report to the Minister of
Education and Research in January 2007.. The Commission's report points to a number of challenges
for Norwegian higher education in the next 10-20 years. A number of small institutions outside the
cities already have too few applicants, and this situation is expected to be aggravated by demographic
changes combined with social preferences for urban life among young people. At the same time,
fragmentation is identified as a problem with regard to research, in particular fragmentation of research
training, which the Commission relates to the existing standards and criteria for accreditation as a
university. To remedy the situation the Commission proposes a process of mergers based on the
institutions' own preferences, combined with stronger profiling supported by agreements with the
ministry and changes in the financing system. Other measures proposed include consolidation of
research training in research schools or similar structures, and measures to increase the quality of
teaching in higher education institutions. The Minister will decide on how to follow up the
recommendations.
Eurydice - the information network on education in Europe
Date: 2009
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