The government drops the requirement for one hour of physical activity in school

In 2017, the Storting adopted the following, with the support of the Labor Party, the Center Party, the Socialist Left Party and the Christian People’s Party:

“The Storting asks the government to introduce a scheme that ensures pupils in grades 1-10. step at least one hour of physical activity every day within the current number of hours, and that it is financed as a public health initiative.”

Withdraws

The demand was made to the Solberg government, which at the time consisted of the Conservative Party and the Progressive Party. Seven years later, it has still not been fulfilled, and the current government parties Ap and Sp, which at the time supported the proposal, believe it cannot be done.

– Introducing a requirement for one hour of physical activity every day means that teachers do not get the pedagogical freedom they need, says State Secretary Synnøve Mjeldheim Skaar (Ap) in the Ministry of Education to NTB.

In the Hurdal platform that the government put forward in 2021, physical activity in school is mentioned as a goal, but the requirement that pupils must be guaranteed an hour of activity is not mentioned. “The government will gradually introduce daily physical activity in schools, with freedom for the schools to organize this themselves,” is the wording used.

Already part of the school

When asked by NTB about what is involved in daily physical activity, Synnøve Mjeldheim Skaar (Ap) answers:

– This is already an important part of the school’s content, including through the new interdisciplinary theme of public health and coping with life, hours for physical activity and the subject of physical education.

She says that for many, school life is too sedentary, and that the government has taken measures to ensure that pupils are more active. They highlight mobile phone bans as one of these measures

Skaar tells NTB that several proposals for how the school should become more active will appear in the youth report.

– Does not hang on the grip

Deputy leader of SV, Torgeir Knag Fylkesnes, believes that the requirement that one hour of physical activity in school should still be carried out.

– I don’t understand the government. After all, they have said themselves that they want to invest in a more practical and varied school. A requirement for one hour of physical activity is a good start. This is not a problem, he says.

KrF also still supports the decision from 2017 and believes that things should happen now.

– It is natural that at least one hour of physical activity in school is prioritized in the planning for the coming school year. Many have tried this for a long time with good results, the government should not worry about it, says acting party leader in KrF Dag-Inge Ulstein.

He believes this can happen without restricting the room for action of the teachers.

– It is important to emphasize that physical activity in this context does not mean an extra hour in the gym or overriding the teachers’ methods, but to integrate physical activity in the other subjects, says Ulstein.