Information Technology in Norwegian education — consistency of strategic initiatives for implementing IT in primary education

Abstract

In August 1997 Norway started implementing a major school reform — Reform ‘97, a multiple reform on childhood, family, culture and education. Reform ‘97 is part of an overall educational reform from kindergarten to university, remaking the structure and content of education in primary and lower secondary school. Information Technology and its implications are focused as important elements of the educational reforms, mainly on content but to some degree on structure as well. Goals and means of IT in Norwegian educational policy include national plans for IT, new curriculum guidelines, methodological guides on subjects and competence-building plans. Consistency between national IT plans, the curriculum L97 and plans introduced to implement the reform are a major part of the national initiative. The effect of these plans, especially on IT, can be questioned because of the financial arrangements and diverse plans for assigning responsibility.