Primary Education - A Right and an Obligation

Children have the right to attend school from the year they turn six. At the same time, parents have an obligation to ensure that their child receives primary education. This education can take place at a public school, a private school, or through private homeschooling.

For children arriving from other countries, the right to education applies if it is likely that the child will stay in the country for more than three months. In such cases, the child must be offered a school placement no later than one month after arriving in Norway.

The obligation to attend school applies to children from other countries once they have been in Norway for three months. If a child stays abroad for three months, this obligation ceases.

Children of primary school age, from 1st to 10th grade.

Primary education is free. This means that parents do not have to pay for education, learning materials, transportation during school hours, or school trips.

However, parents are responsible for covering certain costs, such as:

• Packed lunches or any food expenses during school hours
• Gym clothes and outdoor clothing
• Internet expenses at home

Gratisprinsippet i skolen

This is a legally required service. See, in particular:
Opplæringslova § 2-1, § 2-2 og § 2-5.

Opplæringslova

It is the responsibility of the child’s parents to ensure that the child receives the primary education to which they have both a right and an obligation.

The municipality is responsible for ensuring that all children residing in the municipality have access to public primary education.