After the government introduced twelve hours of free out-of-school education per week for all first-year pupils, after-school cohort participation increased in all counties.
Nearly 56,000 first-year students participated in the OFS as of October 1 of the 2022-2023 school year, according to figures from Statistics Norway (SSB). This corresponds to 92 percent of all first graders, an increase of more than 8 percentage points from the previous school year.
A total of 165,000 students attended primary and secondary education, and this figure is more than ever before. Participation varies the most in small municipalities and, in general, the share of out-of-school education is lower at each stage.
Participation is highest in the municipality of Oslo, which has offered free part-time places for all first-year students since 2020. Last year, 97 percent of first-year school students in Oslo participated in after-school care, up from 96 percent. hundred the previous year.
Agder saw the largest increase with 15 percentage points, from 74 to 89 percent of OFS first-year students.
Participation in the program was lowest at Innlandet, where 86 percent of first-graders participated, compared to 73 percent the previous year.
According to Statistics Norway, there are complex reasons why students do not take advantage of after-school provision, but figures indicate that after-school participation increases when financial support programs are extended.
(©NTB)
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