There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing
Several Norwegian schools we visited during the study trip introduced their pupils to this excellent example of reframing at an early age. Whether the school is located in a residential area or a forest, the outdoor space is enormous by Dutch standards. The amount of time pupils spend outdoors is equally impressive. Pupils are given the space to learn to take responsible risks. A healthy lifestyle is part of the curriculum. This results in nutrition lessons, learning through movement, outdoor learning and active breaks during lessons.
In addition, inclusion is an important aspect of education. This results in agreements such as: you may not say ‘no’ when a child asks whether they can join in. Immigrant children who start attending school in Norway are provided with an interpreter for a maximum of one year. The interpreter sits in the classroom. There are no special schools for children with behavioural problems; children are educated in the mainstream system, with the support of a personal teaching assistant. The personal teaching assistant also sits in the classroom.
Grades are not given, and repeating a year is not possible either. Grades are only given in secondary education.