An Unusual Problem in a Norwegian School. Children Taught by Unqualified Staff
Northern Norway has the highest percentage of people without formal teacher training in schools. In some municipalities, more than one in four people teaching classes do not have full qualifications. Local governments point to recruitment difficulties, a small number of candidates, and the need to train their own employees.
The biggest problem is the lack of staff.
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Data from the Norwegian Directorate for Education (Utdanningsdirektoratet) from the GSI database show regional differences. In Troms, the percentage of people teaching without appropriate qualifications is 7%. In Finnmark, it is 8%, about twice the national average. The most difficult situation is in the municipalities of Dyrøy and Gamvik.
The Problem of Small Municipalities. Who Should Teach the Children?
In Dyrøy in Troms, 28% of those conducting classes do not have formal teacher education. In Gamvik in Finnmark, the rate is 34%. At Elvetun skole in Dyrøy, this applies to one in four teachers in the 2025/2026 school year. The school operates in a small municipality, so every staff change significantly affects the statistics.
Margareth Paulsen from the Gamvik municipality points out in an interview with NRK the problem of recruiting local candidates. According to her, job advertisements often have to be published several times. This year, all teaching positions were filled after the first recruitment round. The municipality has also signed agreements with two local people who are set to begin practical-pedagogical training.
Margareth Paulsen from the Gamvik municipality points out in an interview with NRK the problem of recruiting local candidates. According to her, job advertisements often have to be published several times. This year, all teaching positions were filled after the first recruitment round. The municipality has also signed agreements with two local people who are set to begin practical-pedagogical training.
Municipalities are trying to train staff on their own.Photo: stock.adobe.com/standard license
Local Governments Fight the Problem. A Tough Battle for Teachers
Tommy Mikkelsen from the Dyrøy municipality explains to NRK that the high percentage of people without full qualifications is due to some employees currently undergoing teacher training. The municipality wants to strengthen the school's competencies in the long term. Several people are expected to complete their studies in the coming years, which should gradually improve the staffing situation.
Wenche Heide Hagerupsen, principal of Elvetun skole, emphasizes that those without full qualifications work alongside experienced educators. From autumn 2026, the situation is expected to improve. The school has hired two new teachers, and the municipality has allocated funds for formal training of employees without teaching qualifications.
Wenche Heide Hagerupsen, principal of Elvetun skole, emphasizes that those without full qualifications work alongside experienced educators. From autumn 2026, the situation is expected to improve. The school has hired two new teachers, and the municipality has allocated funds for formal training of employees without teaching qualifications.
The problem also affects universities. Siw Skrøvset from UiT (the Arctic University of Norway) says that the number of applicants for teacher training programs in Norway has dropped significantly. In recent years, some places at UiT have remained unfilled. According to her, the university is currently seeing a slight increase in interest and still has places available for new students, including in decentralized study formats.
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