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431004
statistikk
2020-12-17T08:00:00.000Z
Education;Public sector;Immigration and immigrants
en
utgrs, Pupils in primary and lower secondary school, primary schools, lower secondary schools, combined schools, special education, private schools, school size, native language training, form of Norwegian language, bokmål, nynorsk, computer accessKOSTRA , Education, Primary and lower secondary schools, Public sector, Immigration and immigrants, Education
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Pupils in primary and lower secondary school

Updated

Next update

Not yet determined

Key figures

61.8 %

more private schools since 2010

Primary and lower secondary schools and pupils by ownership. Absolute figures and change in per cent
2020Per cent changePer cent change
2019 - 20202010 - 2020
Primary and lower secondary schools, total2 776-0.8-8.3
Private schools2672.361.8
Public schools2 509-0.9-12.5
 
Pupils, total635 497-0.13.2
Pupils in private schools28 1004.072.3
Pupils in public schools607 397-0.31.3

See selected tables from this statistics

Table 1 
Primary and lower secondary schools. Pupils in primary and lower secondary school

Primary and lower secondary schools. Pupils in primary and lower secondary school
School yearSchools, totalType of schoolPupils
Primary schoolsCombined schoolsLower secondary schoolsPupils, totalPrimary levelLower secondary level
20103 0281 768763497615 973423 333192 640
20113 0001 749758493614 413423 374191 039
20122 9571 714752491614 894424 993189 901
20132 9071 669748490615 327425 917189 410
20142 8861 656738492618 996430 864188 132
20152 8671 636738493623 755438 387185 368
20162 8581 615746497629 275444 638184 637
20172 8481 601746501633 029447 355185 674
20182 8301 585741504636 350448 655187 695
20192 7991 548749502636 250446 218190 032
20202 7761 539744493635 497443 967191 530

Table 2 
Pupils in primary and lower secondary school who receive special education, by county. 1 October

Pupils in primary and lower secondary school who receive special education, by county. 1 October
2020
Pupils, total1st-7th grade8th-10th gradeShare of pupils who receive special education totalShare of pupils who receive special education 1th-7th gradeShare of pupils who receive special education 8th-10th grade
Total635 497443 967191 5307.76.89.7
Viken156 258108 78447 47428.625.236.0
Oslo69 73949 83919 9006.65.59.3
Innlandet39 83927 41912 4207.26.39.3
Vestfold og Telemark48 71733 61515 1028.17.010.5
Agder39 25127 44811 8037.46.69.0
Rogaland64 14945 20918 9407.67.09.2
Vestland76 86753 83923 0287.56.79.2
Møre og Romsdal31 67621 9209 7569.59.210.1
Trøndelag - Trööndelage54 95638 52216 4347.97.010.2
Nordland27 00218 7408 2629.58.711.4
Troms og Finnmark - Romsa ja Finnmárku26 81718 4718 3469.011.9
Svalbard22616165:::

Table 3 
Pupils who receive special education. Total number and proportion.

Pupils who receive special education. Total number and proportion.
School yearTotal number of pupilsPupils who recieve special education, totalProportion of pupils who recieve special education
2015623 75549 2587.9
2016629 27549 3667.8
2017633 02949 7137.9
2018636 35049 7557.8
2019636 25048 9397.7
2020635 49748 6847.7

Table 4 
Primary and lower secondary pupils and primary and lower secondary schools, by ownership

Primary and lower secondary pupils and primary and lower secondary schools, by ownership
Schools, totalPrivate schoolsPupils, totalPupils in private schools
20103 028165615 97316 310
20113 000172614 41317 600
20122 957175614 89416 059
20132 907186615 32716 933
20142 886208618 99620 436
20152 867224623 75521 648
20162 858238629 27522 721
20172 848244633 02923 817
20182 830252636 35025 370
20192 799261636 25027 027
20202 776267635 49728 100

Table 5 
Schools and pupils by school size. Per cent

Schools and pupils by school size. Per cent
Primary and secondary schoolsPupils
0-99 pupils100-299 pupils300 pupils or more0-99 pupils100-299 pupils300 pupils or more
201331.140.328.77.236.856.0
201430.740.029.37.136.256.7
201530.440.029.66.936.157.0
201629.840.030.26.635.557.9
201729.539.830.76.634.858.6
201828.740.131.26.234.659.2
201928.339.732.06.133.860.2
202028.039.932.26.133.860.1

Table 6 
Pupils with native language training, bilingual education, adapted education and additional training in Norwegian, by county. 1 October

Pupils with native language training, bilingual education, adapted education and additional training in Norwegian, by county. 1 October
2020
Pupils, totalPupils with native language training onlyPupils with native language training and bilingual educationPupils with bilingual education onlyAdapted educationPupils with additional training in Norwegian
Total635 4971 8279076 7961 09439 808
Viken156 25837401 7301427 720
Oslo69 739::68:13 074
Innlandet39 83932435871382 047
Vestfold og Telemark48 717529974822 078
Agder39 2511233314391 540
Rogaland64 1491052361 157723 237
Vestland76 8671 1231716801854 011
Møre og Romsdal31 6761825265501 509
Trøndelag - Trööndelage54 9563972085342132 465
Nordland27 002644362931 081
Troms og Finnmark - Romsa ja Finnmárku26 8179278125801 033
Svalbard226000013

Table 7 
Pupils with native language training and additional training in Norwegian

Pupils with native language training and additional training in Norwegian
School yearPupils, totalPupils with mother language training and/or bilingual educationPupils with additional training in Norwegian
2016629 27514 24045 272
2017633 02913 68244 901
2018636 35012 47642 633
2019636 25011 61041 003
2020635 49710 62439 808

Table 8 
Pupils, by official form of Norwegian and county. 1 October

Pupils, by official form of Norwegian and county. 1 October
2020
PupilsOfficial form of Norwegian "bokmål"Official form of Norwegian "nynorsk"Official form of Norwegian "samisk"
Total635 497554 52574 179874
Viken156 258153 9285880
Oslo69 73968 59810
Innlandet39 83936 4173 2440
Vestfold og Telemark48 71746 4751 8240
Agder39 25137 4911 3651
Rogaland64 14948 83814 3180
Vestland76 86739 54037 1513
Møre og Romsdal31 67615 90215 6770
Trøndelag - Trööndelage54 95654 310626
Nordland27 00226 962335
Troms og Finnmark - Romsa ja Finnmárku26 81725 8391809
Svalbard22622510

About the statistics

The purpose of the statistics is to provide useful information about the state of primary and lower secondary school. The statistics are meant to cover the need of information of both educational authorities and other interested parties.

Definitions

Definitions of the main concepts and variables

Education Act. The Education Act regulates both primary, lower secondary and upper secondary education, including education of adults on corresponding educational levels. The Education Act is in force from the school year of 1999/00.

Primary and lower secondary education. Primary and lower secondary education is obligatory to attend for all. It is also a given right to attend public primary and lower secondary school. The municipality is responsible for the fulfilment of this right for children and youths under the age of 16, according to the Education Act section 13-1. Children are usually enrolled in primary schools the calendar year they complete 6 years of age. Lower secondary school is usually finished after the 10th grade. Primary and lower secondary education includes education of persons above primary and lower secondary school age, that receives education on corresponding levels.

School year. The time allocated to teaching shall not be less than 38 weeks within a framework of 45 consecutive weeks during the school year. The school year normally starts on August 1st each year.

Pupil in primary and lower secondary school. Children and young people that, in accordance with the Education Act section 2-1 have the right and obligation to undertake primary and lower secondary education. This usually applies to children and young people from 6 to 15 years of age. It also includes persons older than 15 who get education on primary or lower secondary school level.

Grade. The grades in primary and lower secondary schools span from 1st to 10th grade. All pupils are transferred to the next grade each year.

Primary/ lower secondary. Primary school consists of 1st to 7th grade. Lower secondary school consists of 8th to 10th grade.

Primary and lower secondary schools. Primary and lower secondary schools are municipal, county municipal or state schools for primary and lower secondary education, according to the Education Act section 13-1, or private (chartered) primary and lower secondary schools approved under the Education Act.

Official form of Norwegian. The official form of Norwegian (bokmål, nynorsk or samisk) used by the school.

Minority language pupils. Refers to persons with other mother tongue than Norwegian or Sami. Mother tongue refers to the language that is used in a person's home.

Mother language training. Mother language training is training in the mother tongue of minority language pupils.

Additional training in Norwegian (for minority language pupils). Additional training in Norwegian for minority language pupils is either an additional training in Norwegian for minority language pupils, or training in Norwegian for minority language pupils as a separate subject, or a combination of the above.

Special Eduacation. Refers to the Education Act § 5-1, which states that pupils who are not able to gain from ordinary education are entitled to special education.

Standard classifications

The Norwegian Standard Classification of Education, which was created by Statistics Norway in 1970, groups the educational activity. The standard has been revised; the latest version is from 2000. The type of educational institution is classified by the International Standard Industrial Classification of all Economic Activities (NOS C 182).

Administrative information

Name and topic

Name: Pupils in primary and lower secondary school
Topic: Education

Responsible division

Division for Education and Culture Statistics

Regional level

The Statistics are published at municipal, county and national level.

Frequency and timeliness

Annually, final numbers in December.

International reporting

The data is delivered to OECD, UNESCO and Eurostat.

Microdata

All education statistics at Statistics Norway is stored in a proper, standardized manner in consultation with the Data Inspectorate.

Background

Background and purpose

The Purpose of GSI is to collect all necessary information for planning and official statistics related to primary and lower secondary education in Norway. All information about education of children and adults on a primary and lower secondary level, in accordance with the Education Act, is to be included in GSI.
From 1992 onwards, GSI is the source for the official statistics.

Prior to 2011 there were two releases of statistics; preliminary and final figures. From 2011 and onwards there is only one release; final figures.

Users and applications

In addition to statistical purposes, the data collected through GSI serves as an important information source for the Ministry of Education and Research, the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training (UDIR), the County Governors and the local governments.

Equal treatment of users

No external users have access to the statistics and analyses before they are published and accessible simultaneously for all users on ssb.no at 08 am. Prior to this, a minimum of three months' advance notice is given in the Statistics Release Calendar. This is one of Statistics Norway’s key principles for ensuring that all users are treated equally.

Coherence with other statistics

Data from GSI is also used in KOSTRA and skoleporten

Legal authority

Statistics Act of 21 June 2019 No. 32 relating to official statistics and Statistics Norway § 10, and Act relating to Primary and Secondary Education (Education Act), last amended 30 June 2000, section 14-1.

EEA reference

Regulation (EC) No 0452/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2008 concerning the production and development of statistics on education and learning. Commission Regulation (EU) No 88/2011 of 2 February 2011 implementing Regulation (EC) No 0452/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the production and development of statistics on education and lifelong learning, as regards statistics on education and training systems.

Production

Population

The population includes all primary and lower secondary schools, both private and public. Norwegian schools abroad are not included. Schools without pupils are not included.

Data sources and sampling

The annual collection of data takes place at Grunnskolens informasjonssystem, GSI

Fullscale

Collection of data, editing and estimations

The statistics are based on annual reports by the schools and municipal authorities to central authorities. Every autumn the schools report the situation on October 1 and their plans for the current school year. The reports are collected through the Internet using a web portal run by Waade information systems. The municipal authorities are responsible for the schools under their domain, the County Governors are responsible for privately run schools and the municipalities in their jurisdiction.

Municipal authorities and the education department in each corresponding County Governors office revise the data. There are also controls undertaken by Statistics Norway, and Udir.

Seasonal adjustment

Not relevant.

Confidentiality

The lowest level for publishing is the municipal level. For special teaching and minority language teaching, cells with less than 3 are not published.

Comparability over time and space

GSI is the source of the primary and lower secondary school statistics from 1992 and later. Tables based on earlier statistics are comparable to tables based on GSI. The time series might be interrupted by changes succeeding amendments to the Education Act. There is no collection of data regarding classes after 2003, as teaching from then on was organized in groups rather than classes. From 2011/2012 special schools and ordinary schools are merged. In order to have comparable figures, special schools and ordinary schools have been merged also for previous years. For this reason, statistics published before 2012, will diverge from the statistics published in 2012.

Accuracy and reliability

Sources of error and uncertainty

Errors in data collected from administrative registers can be caused by uncertainties in the definition of variables and values between those responsible for the registers and others responsible for data collection from the registers.

Other sources of error can be the quality of the personal and school data in the registers or the registration process of data input into the registers. Such errors can affect the quality of the data if the control and revision processes in Statistics Norway are not comprehensive enough.

Not relevant.

Revision

Not relevant.