School start in Norway: when does a child start school?

School start in Norway happens in August the year the child turns 6. The municipality where you live provides the child with a place at a local school and sends you a letter. Public primary school is free and lasts 10 years, from grade 1 to grade 10.

School start in Norway: brief explanation

School start in Norway follows simple rules that are the same throughout the country. All children have the right and duty to attend primary school. This duty is called compulsory education, and it lasts 10 years, from grade 1 to grade 10. The rules are set out in the Education Act, which is the Norwegian law on school and education. The Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training (Udir) is the state directorate responsible for school and education in Norway.

Primary school is divided into two parts. The youngest children attend primary school, and the older children attend secondary school. This is how it looks:

After 10th grade, primary school is finished. Then young people can apply to upper secondary school. If you want to understand the entire path from kindergarten to upper secondary school, you can read our guide to the Norwegian school system.

When does a child start school?

Children start school the calendar year they turn 6. This means that a child who turns 6 at any time during the year will start in 1st grade in August that same year.

The school year starts in mid-August and ends at the end of June. A typical school year has around 190 school days, divided into an autumn term and a spring term.

This is called compulsory education from age 6. All children living in Norway take part, regardless of where the family comes from. In rare cases, a child may start one year earlier or one year later. Then the parents and the municipality must agree on this.

Local school and enrollment: how your child gets a place

The municipality automatically provides the child with a place at the local school. The local school is the public school located closest to where you live. You usually do not need to do much yourself.

This is how enrollment works in practice:

• In autumn, often in November of the year the child turns 5, the municipality sends you a letter.
• The letter states which school the child has been placed in.
• Often you and the child are invited to the school for registration in January or February.
• If you want the child to attend the local school, you simply reply to the letter.
• If you want a different school, you must apply for a place there.

If you do not receive a letter, you must contact the municipality yourself. Then you are sure that the child gets a school place.

Is school free?

Yes. Public primary school is free for all children. It does not matter how much the parents earn. The school should cover what the child needs for teaching, such as textbooks, stationery and other materials. This right is set out in the Education Act. You should also not pay for regular outings and activities during school time.

Many children also have the right to free school transport. The right applies if the distance to school is more than 2 kilometers for children in 1st grade, and more than 4 kilometers for children in 2nd–10th grade. Children with a particularly dangerous or difficult route to school can get transport regardless of distance. Transport to and from out-of-school care is usually not free.

But one offer often costs money: out-of-school care. In Oslo it is called AKS (Activity School). Out-of-school care is an offer before and after school hours for children in 1st–4th grade. Out-of-school care is voluntary, and most parents pay for the place. From autumn 2024, some hours are free for the youngest children, but the rest you pay for yourself. Read more about out-of-school care and AKS if you are considering this.

Newly arrived children also have the right to school

If you are new to Norway, this is important: all children between 6 and 18 years old have the right to school. The right applies regardless of residence status. The child gets a place even if the family is waiting for an answer to an application, and even if you do not have all your documents ready yet.

Children who are to stay in Norway for more than three months should get a school place as quickly as possible, and no later than one month. Lack of documents should not stop a child from going to school. You can read more about newly arrived children's right to school.

First day of school: what should you prepare?

Preparing for school start in Norway is not difficult. Here is a simple checklist for you who are sending a child to their first school day:

• Reply to the letter from the municipality, or contact them if you have not received it.
• Attend registration if the school invites you.
• Label clothes and equipment with the child's name and preferably a telephone number.
• Make a simple packed lunch and include a water bottle. The packed lunch should be easy for the child to open.
• Practice at home putting on and taking off clothes, hanging up clothes and tidying up after yourself.
• Pack the school bag together with the child, so the child knows what they have with them.

On the first day of school, many first-graders arrive in somewhat nice clothes. The teacher greets the children, and the first day is often short and pleasant. The first few weeks the child gets to know the teacher, the class and the school. The school also has a free school health service with a school nurse who follows the child's health and well-being. If you want to work well with the school in the future, you can read about parent meetings and school collaboration.

Practice Norwegian society with SamfunnPrep

School is an important part of Norwegian society. Knowing how school, family and rights work helps you in everyday life. Many of these rules are also part of the curriculum for the Norwegian Citizenship Test. On SamfunnPrep you can practice topics about children, school and family in a simple way.

Ready to practice? Try SamfunnPrep free and become more confident about the rules in Norwegian society.