Norwegian teachers say enough is enough, kick-off July by hitting the picket lines
Classes may not be in session, but for members of Union of Education Norway, they’re making sure their powerful message is heard no matter the season.
Teachers’ discontent and distrust toward their employers was put to a vote, with 73 per cent rejecting the proposed agreement, setting the stage for summer labour action.
“This is a powerful message from the teachers to KS (the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities),” proclaimed Ragnhild Lied, president of Norway’s largest teachers’ union. “We are now going to strike.”
At stake is the need for better working hours for educators to ensure students receive the best teaching possible. The teachers would like to see greater flexibility surrounding the hours they work, and send a message to politicians that teaching is not a nine-to-five job. The Union has said no to the proposal of 7.5 hour working day, which it says does not account for the realities of education and is a sign of increasing bureaucratisation of the teaching profession.
The Union says it wants to create conditions to motivate teachers, rather than have measurements and testing systems imposed on them which strip them of professional autonomy.
“Teachers must be empowered to organise their classes in ways that benefit their students the most,” said Fred van Leeuwen, General Secretary of Education International. “We firmly support Norwegian teachers in their fight for greater autonomy and better working conditions.”
Since the 1st of July, 36 teachers are striking at one school in Bergen, and many more are expected to join when schools re-open in mid-August. According to recent polls, the majority of Norwegians support and sympathise with the teachers.
