Grades

Surprisingly, Norway has some of the lowest academic scores in Europe.  They’re certainly not dumb or uneducated, it’s just they value things other than what’s covered on standardized tests.  We found out this interesting tidbit the day we had our first conference with Kaleb’s teacher.  She explained that in Norway, the emphasis in education is learning to work together, “And they don’t test for that,” she said rather smugly. 

Each desk in my son’s school was built for two.  Students switched off working in each other’s books.  Whether the answer was right or not, wasn’t the point.  The point was, that they learned to work together to find a solution.  The only thing they are judged on is how well they get along with others.

Many jobs in Norway are like government jobs in America – they are hard to lose.  So they figure when someone gets a job, they may have it their entire life.  If there is one person in the workplace that isn’t a team player, it affects everyone else, so they emphasize cooperation and tolerance.  

From 8^th grade on up, students get graded on a scale from 1-6.  Everyone expects grades in the 3-4 range, which is perfectly acceptable.  It’s not at all like America where we take pride in rising to the top and getting straight As. It’s quite the opposite in Norway - the goal of every student is to be average.

A high school student who is really bright and has worked hard in one subject may end up with a 5, which would be cause for a family celebration, since they are so rarely achieved.  Even more rare, is getting a 6.  No one ever expects anyone to achieve that level.  Why it’s even there, I do not know.  If someone is very gifted in an area, or it’s a subject directly related to their future line of work, it’s possible to achieve a 6 in one class with much effort. People just shake their head when they hear of it, like someone just told them they climbed Mt. Everest in a single day.  It’s considered an impossible feat that no one dare undertake.

Kory’s cousins’ daughter, Hege, is not only smart, but she loves to study.  Every time we see her, she has a textbook in her hand. She lives for academic challenges.  At the end of 9^th grade, she pulled off straight 6’s.  It had never been done in the history of her school.  All the teachers and students raved.  A huge article was written about her in the newspaper, “The Queen of Sixes” it said.  People were in awe and wonder.  The weird thing was, though, that behind her back, they criticized her because in order to get grades like that, it was assumed her social life was suffering.  And in Norway, that’s just not acceptable.