Oslo School Faces Budget Cuts Amidst Controversial Staff Trip to Italy
Oslo’s education system is under pressure to save 83 million Norwegian kroner next year, yet a recent trip to Italy by 95 employees from Bjerke High School has raised eyebrows.
Summary
- Oslo school must cut 83 million kroner next year, yet Bjerke High School sent 95 employees on a professional seminar in Italy for 650,000 kroner.
- Principal Margrethe Hammer explains that the trip was planned two years ago and funded by the school’s surplus funds, with staff contributing a co-payment.
- The school’s board supports the decision, and the Education Agency’s director believes the trip will provide educational benefits and strengthen professional community at the school.
On Monday, around 100 employees from Bjerke High School in Oslo were on a professional seminar in Italy, visiting a high school just outside Milan.
“We are going to visit a potential partner school in Italy. The goal of the trip is to enhance professional development related to the school’s focus areas, with increased student learning as the main objective,” said Principal Margrethe Hammer ahead of the visit.
The total cost for the school is approximately 650,000 kroner, according to Hammer.
“The school has a modest budget for the study trip. The trip has been planned over a two-year period, with a focus on keeping costs as low as possible. Staff members pay a co-payment. They do not receive per diem allowances,” she added.
Utilizing Surplus Funds
The City Council announced in September that Oslo must save 2.3 billion kroner in the coming years. Hammer acknowledges the questions raised about the trip.
“We booked the trip in the spring and would have made different assessments if we had known the city’s financial situation at that time,” said Hammer.
The budget for the staff trip was approved by the school’s board in March. The board includes politicians, parents, students, and staff who recognize the overall value of this for Bjerke as a school, emphasizes the principal.
“The school has a healthy economy and has had underspending in recent years. A small portion of the underspending is being used for this trip,” said Hammer.
Part of the underspending is due to the school’s leadership contributing to teaching.
Bjerke High School offers adapted education. At the partner school in Milan, these students are integrated into regular classes.
“We want to see if we can learn from this and further develop in this area,” said the principal.
“What are your thoughts on sending 95 people back and forth to Italy by plane from a climate perspective?”
“The climate perspective is always present, both in teaching and activities outside the school. Beyond student exchanges, through Erasmus cooperation, this is not common practice at the school. In this case, we have succeeded in driving professional development, establishing international cooperation, and meeting the curriculum requirements, including interdisciplinary development,” explained Hammer.
Students Fundraising for Organization
The Oslo Municipality’s Education Office helped Bjerke find a partner school.
“The school in Italy is particularly interesting because they work on developing vocational subjects in a way that resembles our school and meets the new professional requirements of the curriculum. Very few schools in Norway do this. We are also eager to learn how they handle students with intellectual disabilities, who are more integrated into the class in Italy,” said Hammer.
While the teachers were in Italy, Bjerke students fundraised for the organization Right To Play, with the funds earmarked for the Middle East.
Understanding the Controversy
Bent T. Nord, chair of the school’s board, stated that the unanimous board supported the decision and stands by the principal.
“One million kroner was allocated for the trip. In that sense, the expenses were lower than budgeted. We believe that this study trip is a good investment for the school. The school is working to establish an exchange program for students with the Italian school,” said Nord.
Nils-Tore Mosvold Sagen, director of high schools in the Education Office, emphasized that Bjerke has planned a comprehensive and valuable program in Italy, which will provide educational benefits and strengthen the school’s professional community.
“We understand that such a trip may seem unfortunate as municipal finances tighten. The trip was purchased and planned before the summer, and before the city’s challenging financial situation was known. Evaluations of this type of initiative will naturally be different going forward,” said Sagen.
He reiterated that the trip was planned and carried out due to long-term underspending at the school.
“Funds are not earmarked in central budgets for these types of trips,” he added.