Complete confusion over full-day schooling (Vårt Land)

There was complete confusion yesterday when it became known that Education Minister Trond Giske and the teachers’ unions were proposing to introduce full-day schooling for the youngest year groups. In particular Mr Giske’s parliamentary colleagues were confused about how the scheme was to be financed. "The pilot scheme will not raise costs for parents," says the Education Minister.

Protests over full-day schooling (Nationen)

The Norwegian Women and Family Association is furious that Education Minister Trond Giske and the Norwegian Union of Teachers have agreed to open the way for full-day schooling for the youngest year groups. The teachers’ union is also calling for the Worker Protection and Working Environment Act to be extended to also cover children in schools and day nurseries. "This is not a proposal which the various parties involved must accept or reject. We have just agreed to carry out a pilot project," says Elisabeth Rusdal, president of the Norwegian Union of Teachers.

Conservative Party climbs, Progress Party tumbles (Aftenposten)

While Carl I. Hagen has gone form one TV station to another to answer questions about the party’s "domestic disturbance", the voters have turned their backs on him. Support for the Progress Party has plunged 20.9 percentage points compared to its peak level last year. During the same period the Conservative Party has quietly been gathering strength in the party popularity polls compiled by the market research company, Opinion. In the latest poll support for the Conservatives has grown by 3.4 percentage points to 21.9 per cent. The Progress Party dropped 3.7 percentage points to 13.4 per cent. There were only small changes in the popularity of the remaining parties.

LO membership falling (NTB)

The Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) lost almost 20,000 members last year. According to Torgeir Stokke, a researcher with the trade unions’ research institute FAFO, the LO’s members are reaching retirement age at a faster rate than in the other union confederations. The LO is having difficulty recruiting new members from growth industries, such as the IT sector. Mr Stokke says that highly educated employees prefer to join other union confederations.

Røkke won, Norsk Hydro lost (Aftenposten)

For two years Aker Maritime, controlled by financier Kjell Inge Røkke, has worked hard to get a foothold in the North Sea oil business. Everyone from the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) to the oil companies has been mobilized in a extensive lobbying campaign. Yesterday the Petroleum and Energy Ministry announced that Aker Maritime had been awarded a 49 per cent share in a block off Florø. It is the first time an equipment supplier has turned itself into an oil and gas producer. Norsk Hydro ended up as the biggest loser this time around. There is some speculation in the oil industry that the recent strong criticism of Norsk Hydro over breaches in safety regulations may have contributed to the fact that the company was made a partner in only one license.

Not this bad since 1929 (Verdens Gang)

"The current stock market crisis is the worst we have seen since 1929," says Arnfinn Kirkenes, chief executive of Avanse Forvaltning, Norway’s largest mutual fund. As many as one million Norwegians have invested in unit trust funds. "Getting out now is the same as selling pretty well at rock bottom, which is seldom a smart move. If you have invested in a unit trust fund, it is the long-term view that is important," says Mr Kirkenes.

Executive pay (Dagens Næringsliv)

The best paid senior executives in Norway’s largest companies have received salary increases averaging almost NOK 900,000 over the past two years. Industrial workers have received NOK 22,000 more. The senior executives are causing problems for the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO), according to the NHO’s Olav Magnussen. He is concerned that the rapid growth in executive salaries is becoming is a widespread trend. Nevertheless, the NHO has no plans to intervene more strongly to halt the rise.

Worth Noting

• The Conservative Party looks set to win more seats in the Storting than the Christian Democrats and Liberals put together. The latest opinion poll from market research company Opinion shows that any majority government apart from a Labour government must include the Conservatives. (Aftenposten)
• Vidar Kleppe will probably join the Liberal People’s Party. It now seems as though the ex-Progress Party incorrigibles are joining forces in a new nationwide party. (Dagbladet)
• Justice Minister Hanne Harlem says that the three-year minimum sentence for counterfeiting should be reduced or abolished altogether. (Aftenposten)
• For the first time ever the Industrial Disputes Court is to hear a case concerning management harassment of a union representative. (Dagsavisen)
• A survey of media industry spokespeople from the Labour Party, the Conservatives, Christian Democrats, Socialist Left Party and Centre Party indicates that a majority of MPs would support the sale of NRK’s Marienlyst broadcasting centre in Oslo, but on condition that the sale frees tied capital. (NTB)
• Sick men are absent from work to a greater degree than sick women, according to a recent Norwegian study of gender and sick leave. Women with psychiatric problems form the group who more than any other continue working despite their illness. (NTB)

Today’s comment from Dagsavisen

Education Minister Trond Giske and the teachers’ unions have agreed to start a number of pilot schemes involving a change in working hours for teachers. Satisfactory and well thought out trials have a tendency to become permanent. We hope that this is the case for the schools sector. Hardly any country in the world has as many teachers per child as Norway, but teaching standards are not high enough. There are few good reasons why the trials should not be a success. The teachers want the best possible school for their pupils, and have been promised higher salaries if they spend less of their working day in meetings and doing paperwork. In one of the pilot schemes the after-school supervised play scheme will become an integrated part of the youngest children’s school day. Opponents of obligatory full-day schooling are attempting to disrupt this part of the experiment. But the Conservatives, Christian Democrats and the Norwegian Women and Family Association can relax. Mr Giske has promised that the after-school supervised play scheme will remain voluntary. And both county and local authorities will themselves have to take the initiative to become part of the pilot schemes.