AsfoundontheUnitedNationswebsiteinarticle26ofthe194Universal

DeclarationofHumanrightsstatesthateveryonehastherighttoeducation.Educationis
animperativeresourceforthewellbeingofourworld.Ithelpfostereconomicgrowth,
promotesopportunityandthefreedomsnecessaryforourworldtodevelopasustainable
lifestyle.NorwayseducationalsystemhelpsdemonstratetheideathattheUnitedNationsis
tryingtoconveytotheworldthroughtheireducationinitiative.Norwayhasaimedforevery
childtobeinschool,theyhaveimprovedthequalityoflearning,andtheyarecreatingmodel
globalcitizens.
ThefirststepthatNorwayhasproventhattheyaresuccessfulwitheducationisby
havingeverychildinschool.InNorwaytheschooleducationalsystemisdividedinto
differentstages.Requirededucationcoversatenyearspan.Thefirstistheprimarystage
grade,whichisconsidered14.Theagerangeforprimaryschoolissixyearsoldtotenyears
old.Thesecondstageofeducationisintermediatestagegrades57.Thestudentsenteratage
tenafterprimaryschoolandexitatagethirteen.Thethirdislowersecondarystage810.The
studentsbeginthisatagethirteenandfinishatagesixteen.Allofthehighereducation
institutionsarestaterun.Thismeansthatageneraltuitionisnotrequiredtostudyin
Norwegianhighereducationinstitutions;howevertheremaybefeesincertainprofessional
educationprograms.Thismeansthatthereisopportunityforallstudentstobeabletogoto
schoolandbecomeliterate.Norwaysliteracylevelcanbeseenbelowinthefollowinggraph.
ItshowsthatNorwayhasthehighestdocumentliteracyaswellasthehighestproseliteracy
overthefollowingcountries.Comparedtotheothercountries,theyarethesecondhighest
whenitcomestonumeracyandproblemsolvingabilities.Overalldemonstratingthat
Norwayisdoingasuccessfuljobofhavingchildreninschool.Ifchildrenwerenotinschool,
theliteracylevelwouldbefarlowerthanwhatispresented.

Norwayhasbeensuccessfulwithimprovingthequalityoflearningforstudentsin
manyways.Thefirstwayisbyprovidingachoiceforthestudentstodecideiftheywantto
continuetheirgeneralstudiesorfocustheirlearningonvocationalstudies.Afterthelower
secondarystageoflearning,thenextstageisuppersecondaryeducationandlaststhe

durationofthreeyears.Inthisstagethestudentseithercontinuetheirgeneralstudiesortheir
vocationalstudies.InthegeneralstudiesthestudentsfirstyearistheFoundationCourses,
thesecondyearistheAdvancedCourseI,andthenthethirdyearistheAdvancedCourseII.
ThesethreeyearsleadtotheCertificateofUpperSecondaryEducation.Forthevocational
studiesthefirstyearconsistedofaFoundationCourse.ThesecondyearistheAdvanced
CourseI,andthenthethirdyearistheAdvancedCourseIIorPractical
training/ApprenticeshiporTradeskilltestthatwillhelpleadtoacertificate.Additional
qualificationsareobtainedforthehigherstudiesifthestudentsinthevocationalcourses
studyforoneextrayear.Withthisopportunitystudentsareabletofocusmoreontheir
occupationalgoalforthefuture.Thesuccessoftheimprovementofthequalitycanbeseenin
thefollowinggraphbelowthatshowsthepercentageofthepopulationofaselectedcountry
thathasBachelorsDegreesorhigher.Norwayisnumberthreeonthechartwith47%ofmen
andwomenobtainingthisatage2534and38%ofmenandwomenreceivingthisatage25
64.NorwayhasahigherpercentageratethantheU.S.thatfallsat43%.Alongwiththisthe
teachersinNorwayhavetoattendauniversityforthreeyearstoreceivetheadequatetraining
andqualifications.ThesearejustsomeofthewaysthatNorwegiansaredoingtheirpartin
providingqualitylearning.

InmanywaysNorwayismakingmodelglobalcitizens.Thefirstisbytheir
proficiencylevel.Inthegraphsaboveitisclearthattheeducationissuitableforthecountry
becauseofthesuccessoftheindividual.Therewouldnotbeashighofarateofpeoplewith
bachelordegreesorhighliteracyrates,ifthenationwerenotdoingitspartinprovidingthe
appropriateeducation.Norwaysgoverningbodyalsoplaysasignificantroletomakesure
thatthestudentsarereceivingtherecoursestheyneedtomoveforwardwithsuccessintheir
futurecareersandpartofoureconomicworld.Thesegoverningandnationalbodiesoversee
theresponsibilitiesforallhighereducationfortheinstitutes.ThroughNorwayseffective
schoolsystem,studentsareencouragedandsupportedthuscreatinganenvironmentwhere
learnerscangrowanddevelopintoglobalcitizens.

Sources:
EducationSystem.(n.d).RetrievedOctober26,2015,fromhttp://www.studyinnorway.no
/StudyinNorway/Educationsystem
HillNotes.(n.d.).RetrievedOctober26,2015,fromhttp://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/
LOP/ResearchPublication/201246e.htm
PercentageofPopulationofSelectCountrieswithBachelorsDegreesorHigher,By
Age.(n.d.)RetrievedOctober26,2015,fromhttp://www.russellsage.org/
research/chartbook/percentagepopulationselectcountriesbachelorsdegrees
orhigherage
Norway.(n.d.).RetrievedOctober26,2015,fromhttp://www.euroeducation.net/prof
/norco.htm