Abstract:

As in most countries, teacher shortage varies over time, and geographically – in Norway, the northern counties and remote areas along the west coast have traditionally been hardest hit. A critical situation in the 70s led to focused policies to recruit teachers, in particularly to Finnmark and Northern Troms, in the far North.

The supply has been acceptable or good till recently, and a projected severe shortage increasing from 2010 towards 2020 seems to have been exaggerated. The National Bureau of Statistics has suggested relatively good supply through the 2020s; however, with some concern regarding teacher education for the lower grades, 1-7, given as about 40 programs in about 25 locations, primarily by the college sector. (Teacher education for grades 5-10, and for secondary school, is offered by both the college sector and universities.)

This paper describes and discusses two recent reforms in Norwegian teacher education, 1) the requirement of the grade 4 in mathematics from secondary school to be accepted into programs of teacher education, implemented in 2016, and 2) expanding all programs of teacher education to master level, to be implemented in 2017. The main focus is on effects regarding recruitment of teachers – it is expected that the two reforms will result in teacher shortage in the lower grades of compulsory school. In the discussion, a comparison with Finland is included.

The paper is based on official statistics on relevant topics. But the most up to date versions of the numbers are not yet available, so the paper will presented as a draft, not to be quoted.

Keywords:

Recruitment of teachers, teacher selection, teacher shortage, teacher education.