You can request exemption from religious activities at school for your child. The notification must be in writing, but you do not need to explain why. The right is in the Education Act § 14-6 and applies to both primary school and upper secondary school.
Exemption from religious activities at school: you do not need to justify it
You send a written notification to the school, and the school cannot require you to state a reason. The rule is in the Education Act § 14-6, which came into force on 1 August 2024. The statute text is in Nynorsk:
"Students have the right to exemption from activities in education that they, for reasonable grounds, experience as practising a different religion than their own or adherence to a different worldview than their own, or that they on the same grounds experience as offensive or insulting. The exemption requires a written notification from the student or parents, but justification is not required."
Three conditions must be in place: it must concern an activity in education, you must "for reasonable grounds" experience it as practising a different religion or worldview – or as offensive or insulting – and the notification must be in writing.
The right applies to all families equally, whether you are Muslim, Christian, humanist or non-religious. It is a practical aspect of religious freedom in Norway. The Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training (Udir) clarifies, however, that the school shall conduct "some assessment based on more objective criteria". You do not need to justify, but the right does not cover everything.
In the old law the rule was called § 2-3 a and applied only to primary school; from 1 August 2024 the right also applies in upper secondary education.
The exemption applies to the activity, not the knowledge
The child can skip participating in an activity, but not learning what the subject is about. The second clause of § 14-6 states it directly:
"One cannot require exemption from the competence objectives in curricula for subjects. Students who receive exemption from activities in education shall have other education with equivalent subject content."
Praying, singing hymns or playing a religious role are activities. Learning about Christianity, Islam or humanism is knowledge. The child shall learn the same thing, but in a different way.
The right works both ways. The legislative history, as Udir presents it, says that the rule "also covers practising of activities that conflict with one's own religion, such as eating pork". You can therefore request exemption from activities that conflict with your own beliefs.
Exemption from school religious services: these are the rules
A school that offers school religious services must offer an equivalent alternative to those who do not participate. The municipality or county authority decides whether the school shall offer religious services at all.
Udir's guidance on school religious services (last updated 19 November 2025) establishes three things:
- The religious service can be held during school time and is not considered preaching. It cannot, however, have the purpose of influencing students' religious beliefs.
- The exemption also covers "practice and other preparations" for school religious services and Christmas celebrations. Many notify exemption from the day itself and discover too late that the child has been practising hymns for three weeks.
- The alternative offer must be a planned pedagogical programme. Udir mentions themed day, reading session, singing session and light festival. An empty group room without a programme is not enough.
The school celebration itself should not be a school religious service, Udir writes. Celebrations should be arranged so that all students can participate. There is also no longer any requirement for active registration for the religious service.
How to write the exemption notification
The notification can be two to three lines in an email or in the school's messaging platform.
- Write briefly and in writing – email or messaging platform is fine.
- Write which activity it concerns, and which date.
- You do not need to state a reason, and the school shall not require one.
- At the same time, ask to be told what the alternative programme is.
- Keep a copy of the notification.
You can copy this text:
"Hello. I notify exemption for [name], class [X], from the school religious service [date] and from the practice before it, pursuant to the Education Act § 14-6. Can you tell me what the alternative programme is? Sincerely [name]."
If the student is 15 years old or older, the student notifies
Students who are 15 years old or older give the notification themselves. This rule is in the Education Act § 24-5 on autonomy, not in § 14-6. It is the most common misquotation on the internet.
Parents give the notification until the student is 15 years old. After that, the student decides on matters concerning their education, including notification of exemption. A student in upper secondary year 2 therefore notifies themselves.
What the school cannot exempt your child from
Exemption from religious activities at school is not the same as not going to school. The child is at school and receives other education, and it is not absence.
| You can get exemption from | You cannot get exemption from |
|---|---|
| The school religious service itself | Competence objectives in the curriculum |
| Practice and preparations for religious service and Christmas celebration | KRLE as a subject (427 hours in grades 1–7, 153 hours in grades 8–10) |
| Prayer, hymn singing and role play with religious content | Grade assessment in KRLE in grade 10 and oral examination |
| Activities that conflict with your own beliefs | Compulsory schooling from age 6 to completion of grade 10 |
KRLE (Christianity, religion, worldview and ethics) is mandatory. Approximately half of the teaching time goes to Christian knowledge, but the subject also covers Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, new religious movements and secular humanism. The hours above apply as of 29 July 2026. The school system in Norway explains the right and obligation to primary school.
Can my child skip swimming for religious reasons?
No. Swimming is part of the competence objectives in physical education, and there is no exemption right on religious grounds. In upper secondary school a student can apply to the county authority for exemption from physical education, but it requires a medical certificate that the education is harmful (Education Regulations § 5-10).
The school is also not permitted to divide swimming instruction by gender for the sake of religious conviction. Education Act § 14-2 allows gender-separated groups only for "particularly serious reasons". Udir's page on grouping of students in classes and groups (last updated 17 April 2026) states this explicitly.
The school shall nevertheless make accommodations. Udir explicitly mentions separate changing rooms or showers and the option of wearing covering swimwear as lawful measures. Read more about swimming instruction in Norwegian schools.
Private school and kindergarten: two important exceptions
If your child attends a private school approved on worldview grounds, the exemption right does not exist. The Private School Act § 3-12 says that the Education Act § 14-6 applies to private schools, but not to schools approved under § 2-1 second clause letter a. Udir's guidance says the same: it applies to private schools "with the exception of schools approved on religious grounds".
Kindergarten has no corresponding exemption right; the Kindergarten Act has no provision corresponding to § 14-6. The framework plan says that kindergarten shall mark holidays from the Christian cultural heritage and from religions represented in the kindergarten. Talk to the kindergarten and read the statutes.
For yourself a different rule applies: the Act on Religious Communities § 18 gives right to time off on religious holidays of up to two self-selected days per year.
The school shall inform you – also in a language you understand
The school must actively inform about the right to exemption. The obligation is in the Education Act § 10-8, and Udir's page on the obligation to inform (last updated 13 March 2025) explicitly mentions "right to exemption from activities".
The annual obligation to inform disappeared from the statute text on 1 August 2024, so many schools no longer send a regular letter about exemption. Udir nevertheless says that the school cannot rely on the child passing on the message at home, and that the school must consider translation and interpreter. If you have not received the information, ask for it in writing – you also have right to an interpreter in meetings with the school.
If you receive a refusal, ask for a written explanation. A refusal is usually an individual decision that you can appeal. The appeal is sent via the school or the municipality. Under the Education Act § 29-1 the ministry is the appeals body, and in practice such appeals are handled by the county governor.
The school's role, religious freedom and students' rights are topics in civics examinations, and at SamfunnPrep you can practise such questions. Ready to practise? Try SamfunnPrep free.
