School for the Future: a Critical View on the Norwegian School Reform, 2006, “Knowledge Promotion”

Abstract

The article introduces the author’s reflections related to the New Norwegian School Reform 2006, made public as “Knowledge Promotion”. The article is based on close study of public documents, newspapers, interviews, and focuses on children’s needs and children’s human rights of being children in a complex society in which school is a vital part. The article draws attention to the diversity of values in our society nowadays, and asks how school should match rivalry between different values? An economic way of thinking; buying and selling, greed, egocentricity, money and power, career, status, time constraints and stress in competition with solidarity, care, togetherness, a sense of belonging and fellowship. The author makes conclusion as follows. “Knowledge promotion” rewards “smartness” in a narrow range of subjects, and implements a view of values that rewards pupils that do well in academic subjects, a view that rewards knowledge that can be tested – school is a marketplace where “what counts is what you can count”.