The Norwegian Education Mirror 2022
Children with special education support
Children under the compulsory school age who have a specific need for special education support have a right to such support. The aim of special education support is to provide children with early help and support in e.g. developing their linguistic and social skills. Special education support, given individually or in a group, can be given in the form of e.g. exercise, stimulation of the child or advice for kindergarten staff.
3.6 per cent of children in kindergarten receive special education support
In 2021, 9,700 children received special education support, which is equivalent to 3.6 per cent of children in kindergarten. Over the past five years there has been a slight but steady increase in the proportion of children receiving such help.
| By | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | 8 674 | 8 813 | 9 190 | 9 255 | 9 725 |
| Percentage | 3,1 | 3,2 | 3,3 | 3,4 | 3,6 |
| Source: The Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training | |||||
The percentage of children receiving special education support in kindergarten increases with age, from 0.3 per cent among children under 2 years to 6.6 per cent among five-year-olds. In comparison, only 3.5 per cent of pupils in Year 1 receive special education support.
| Subject | < 2 years | 2 years | 3 years | 4 years | 5 years | 6 years* | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proportion of children receiving special education support | 0,3 | 1,1 | 3,7 | 5,1 | 6,6 | 90,8 | 3,6 |
| *Children with a delayed school start Source: The Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training | |||||||
In addition to children receiving special education support, just under 5,100 children with reduced functional abilities attend kindergarten.
Over 70 per cent of kindergartens were attended by children who are entitled to special education support in 2020. In 7 out of 10 kindergarten, special education support is planned by a special education teacher. Much of the special education support consists of extra personnel, small-group activities, individual support and guidance for employees working with the child (Naper et al. 2021).
Most kindergarten owners state that they have arranged for cooperation, either regularly or as needed, with educational and psychological counselling services, child welfare services and public health centres. All municipal, and around 95 per cent of private, kindergarten owners facilitate cooperation with educational and psychological counselling services, child welfare services and public health centres. Private owners have facilitated cooperation with Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration instructors in their municipality to a greater degree than municipal owners (Naper et al. 2022).