Norwegian schools failing vulnerable children due to understaffing and budget cuts

Norway’s public schools are struggling to support children with special needs due to large class sizes, shrinking budgets, and insufficient staffing, writes social education student Fatima Sherifu in an op-ed published by Dagbladet.

Sherifu argues that while Norwegian law guarantees an inclusive education for all, the reality falls short for children with diagnoses, trauma, or other vulnerabilities. “The most vulnerable children are paying the price,” she states, describing how students with autism, ADHD, or trauma-related challenges rely on predictable routines, trusted relationships, and adults who understand their needs.

When support staff are absent—whether due to unfilled substitute positions or budget cuts—these children’s school days “collapse,” Sherifu writes. Without consistent adult attention, they experience insecurity, setbacks, or withdrawal. Parents, she adds, are left exhausted from years of fighting for their children’s legally mandated support.

The op-ed criticises what Sherifu calls a systemic failure: a school system designed as if all children were alike, while simultaneously promoting inclusion without adequate funding. “We talk warmly about inclusion but finance exclusion,” she writes, pointing to repeated findings by Norway’s Children’s Ombudsman and County Governor that support for students with special needs remains inconsistent, overly dependent on individual staff, and vulnerable to cuts.

Sherifu calls for an honest public debate on the true cost of inclusion, arguing that social educators, therapists, and special education professionals are “not a luxury, but the foundation of a school for all.” She concludes: “Children deserve more than speeches. They deserve adults who are there every day, even when budgets are tight. If no child is to be left behind, staffing must reflect that.”