On Friday morning, the Directorate of Education’s (Udir) findings were released Student survey 2022 published. The survey was carried out last autumn, and around 460,000 students responded, which is the highest participation ever.
Dagbladet was given access in advance to a selection of figures dealing with bullying and well-being in schools.
Here it emerges that 9.9 per cent – 1 in 10 – of seventh graders experience being bullied at school “two or three times a month or more often”.
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This is the highest number reported for the step in at least ten years, according to statistics from Udir.
– Clear warning
The number of seventh-graders who experience bullying increases by two percentage points from the previous year. This corresponds to an increase of 27 percent.
Despite the fact that last year saw a steady increase in the grade level, this is a real step in the wrong direction.
– We have had stable, elevated numbers for a long time, and now they are increasing even more. It is a very clear warning and a reminder to all adults who work with children and young people in schools, says Education Minister Tonje Brenna (Ap) to Dagbladet.
– There should be consequences
The proportion of pupils who answer that they experience bullying decreases somewhat with increasing grade, but in the 10th grade the increase in percentage points is almost as great as for the 7th grade. For tenth-graders, the proportion increases from 5.7 per cent to 7.4 per cent.
– Serious
For those in their first year of upper secondary school, the proportion of pupils who experience bullying increased from 3.3 to 4.2 per cent. Common for 10th grade and year 1 is that since 2017 there has been a decrease in the percentage of bullying. Now it is also increasing here.
– The schools have failed completely
Brenna does not take the findings lightly.
– It is serious when children are bullied in our schools. It is serious that young people who are going to school, today and tomorrow, are afraid, she says.
– Do you feel that a bully-free society is within reach?
– Not with these numbers, no. They are obviously discouraging, replies Brenna.
Before Christmas, the Minister of Education contacted the country’s state administrators to gain more knowledge about the cases they receive.
– One of the worst things that can happen
– I have asked for more information about the bullying cases that are reported there, to see if there are any patterns. I will bring up these figures in the meetings I will have with Skole-Norge, on school visits, in conversations with pupils and staff, in meetings with various organisations, and with the Norwegian Directorate of Education and state administrators in the future, says Brenna.
The Minister of Education will not speculate on the reasons why the numbers are now making a jump. The statistics will be further analyzed by NTNU Social Research.
– These are still just numbers. What they are telling us beyond being statistics right now, we don’t know, so we have to look into that more closely, she says.
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Can not wait
She nevertheless encourages immediate action among the country’s adults, especially those who work in schools.
– For all the students who already experience being bullied, we can’t wait for the interpretation of the statistics, says Brenna.
– Bullying is something that takes place in a snapshot. In a classroom, in the canteen or online – everywhere. The adults around the children need to find out how things are with them, and get to grips with it right away. That is the important thing here, she adds.
She emphasizes that all children have a statutory right to a good school environment, and that it is the school that is obliged to comply with this.
– I can not stand more
– Don’t let us be fooled
At the same time that bullying figures are increasing, 8 out of 10 students say that they enjoy school, or very well.
– That so many people say they are enjoying themselves is very good, and good news. But we should not deceive ourselves and think that even if 15 out of 17 in a class are doing very well, we should be satisfied. Everyone should be fine, she says.
The Minister of Education says they want to make arrangements for the schools to get the tools to succeed.
– We must do more so that teachers can provide good training, and we must also be concerned with strengthening the team around the student, she says.
