47. the Power to Reflect and Choose As Part of Education for Youth Mrs Unni Høsøien And

47. The power to reflect and choose as part of education for youth – Mrs Unni Høsøien and Mrs Karen Helena Biørn Rosø, Norway

47.1 Key Issues

The lower secondary schools focuses on the preparedness of teachers to implement a new subject called ‘educational choice’.

Lifelong learning is a lifelong process. In 2008/2009 a new mandatory subject called ‘educational choice’ was introduced at the lower secondary level in Norwegian schools. The intention is that youth in the 8th 9th and 10th grade (age group 13-16 years) are given time and space to actively reflect on their own futures. The school pupils were given an opportunity to explore higher secondary education (11th – 13th grade, age 16-19 years) and a possible future career in their own interests and talents.

Closing the gap on the failure rate in the Upper Secondary Education and Training stream.

47.2 Challenges and Opportunities

The new process brings new opportunities for collaboration and the ability for both students and educators to learn new skills as the process unfolds.

At the beginning of the process in 2008 teachers found it difficult to teach the new course. Teachers did not know how to initiate the reflections process with students.

It is a national task to increase the successful completion of Upper Secondary Education and Training. In Norway about 30 % of the 16 – 19 year old fails in completing the task.

47.3 Discussion

The intention of ‘educational choice’ is to let the pupils both explore themselves inwards and their possible future life outwards. The mandatory subject is a total of 113 hours in three years.

What is unique about this course is that a new curriculum was developed bottom up in collaboration with different stakeholders. Schools, libraries and career centres collaborate on career counselling and ‘educational choice’. The guidance counsellors from the lower secondary schools in the City of Drammen, Papirbredden Career Centre and the Department of Teacher Education at BuskerudUniversity collaborate on relevant and useful subjects for guidance counselling and a new curriculum.

The new course opened up opportunities for students to ask reflective questions about their wants, needs, interests and future dreams and to be part of a bottom up process in education.

47.4 Way Forward

In going forward there will be a follow up on national tests to givepupils who want to, greater possibility to work in practical ways and try out their interests for vocational training.

There will also be a focus on the professionalization of career guidance services with relevant and practice oriented vocational education and training.