Norway's Education Ministry has approved a controversial private school in Lom, Innlandet, overriding strong local objections and setting up a clash over rural education policy. The decision grants Jotunheimen Upper Secondary School official status as a Christian private school with state funding for up to 120 student places starting autumn 2026. This ends a long-running dispute but opens a new chapter of conflict between central government ambitions and regional governance.
A Victory for Local Initiative
School founder and daily leader Hanna Skjåkødegård called the approval 'completely fantastic.' She said she received confirmation directly from government officials. 'I hope the county municipality can now see the impossible we have created in Lom, and that they join our team,' Skjåkødegård said. She invited the community to the school to celebrate and expressed a desire for future cooperation with local authorities. The school opened as a private institution this autumn, and the state funding decision provides security for students who have already begun their education there, as noted by Education Minister Kari Nessa Nordtun. As an approved private school, 85 percent of its operational costs will now be covered by public funds, and students will receive official first-time graduation certificates.
Strong Opposition from County Leaders
The approval has sparked immediate and sharp criticism from Innlandet County Council leadership, who belong to the same national governing parties. County Mayor Thomas Breen of the Labour Party (AP) said he was 'both surprised and disappointed.' He framed the decision as a direct override of local democracy. 'I am surprised that the Labour Party government overrides both regional democracy and its own county party,' Breen stated. His primary concern is the financial impact on the broader public school offerings in the Gudbrandsdalen region. He argued funds diverted to support the private school in Lom would inevitably weaken other schools. 'Immediately, it will of course mean less money to start classes in Vinstra and Otta,' Breen explained, naming other towns in the valley. County Councilor Hanne Alstrup Velure from the Conservative Party (H) has also voiced criticism, aligning with Breen's position that the decision undermines the public school system.
Regional Rift Over Resources
Breen's concerns extend beyond immediate budgets. He fears the decision will reignite broader structural debates about school offerings across Innlandet that could paralyze planning. 'It will also accelerate a debate about the structure of educational offerings again, then we will not manage to accomplish anything in Gudbrandsdalen,' he warned. His critique points to a fundamental policy disagreement: whether supporting niche private institutions strengthens overall educational choice or dilutes resources for the mainstream public system, particularly in sparsely populated areas. 'This means the Labour Party government thought it was more important to have a Christian private school in Lom, at the expense of the public school elsewhere in Gudbrandsdalen. And I must take note of that, even though I disagree,' Breen said. This tension highlights the challenge Norwegian governments face in balancing the principle of parental choice through private schools with the commitment to maintain strong, equitable public schools across all regions.
The National Policy Context
The approval of Jotunheimen Upper Secondary School fits within Norway's established framework for private schools, which receive significant public funding but must meet specific quality and curricular criteria. The Christian profile of the school is a recognized category under this system. However, the forceful opposition from local leaders belonging to the government's own parties underscores a recurring conflict in Norwegian governance: the centre versus the periphery. The Labour Party-led ministry has prioritized the legal right of the school to approval once it met the standards, siding with the school's founders and parents. Minister Nordtun's statement focused on the security and rights of existing students, a key legal and ethical consideration in such processes. This decision is now a concrete example of how national policy frameworks can collide with local political and practical priorities, especially in regions experiencing demographic pressure and concerns about service centralization.