The Ministry of Education, Research and Church Affairs

The Ministry of Education, Research and Church Affairs (KUF) is responsible for sectors of society important to our growth and development – both as individuals and as a society. At the same time the Church, the educational institutions and the research establishments play important roles as cultural agents and purveyors of culture. Development and change must go hand in hand with conservation and transfer of tradition and values.

The work of the Ministry is aimed at ensuring that Norway has a sound and well functioning educational system, productive and creative research environments and an open and living people’s Church. We need these institutions if we are to meet the challenges in a world where capital and knowledge transcend boundaries, where information technology and biotechnology create new opportunities and ethical challenges, where knowledge is the most important asset.

The Ministry seeks to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to participate and influence development in the knowledge society. An important condition for achieving this goal is the existence of a knowledge sector that is able to develop, communicate and exploit new knowledge.

Administration
Departments
Areas of responsibility
Strategy
History
Councils and institutions

The Ministry’s budget for the year 2000 is in the region of NOK 38 billion i.e. about USD 4 billion. The larger part of the public funds for primary and secondary education are channelled through the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development as part of the revenue system for the municipalities a county administrations. The municipal authorities are responsible for primary education whilst the county authorities are responsible for secondary education