Norway's parliamentary Education Committee has unanimously moved to abolish an administrative rule that counted student visits to school health nurses as official absences. The decision targets a loophole where nurses, employed by municipalities rather than county-run schools, could not authorize legitimate absence, potentially discouraging vulnerable students from seeking help.
A Rule with Unintended Consequences
The issue stemmed from a technical distinction in employer jurisdiction. Under current national attendance regulations, a student's scheduled appointment with a principal or other school staff is classified as a valid, excused absence. However, because school health nurses are employed by the local municipality, not the county authority that operates upper secondary schools, their appointments were not covered by this exemption. This meant a student's time at the nurse's office was logged as regular absence, counting toward the strict 10 percent limit that can lead to automatic course failure.
In practice, this created a stark paradox within school corridors. "Imagine you are a student and come to school," said Progress Party (FrP) MP Simen Velle. "To the right is the counsellor's office. There you get a valid absence. To the left is the school nurse's office. There you do not get a valid absence. Everyone understands that this is a practice that must change." The rule had been clarified in a circular from the Directorate of Education last year, sparking widespread criticism.
Political Consensus for Change
The push for change gained significant momentum following engagement from students, teachers, school leaders, and the nurses themselves. The FrP, supported by the Conservative Party (Høyre), brought the proposal forward. "It is very gratifying for all upper secondary students that a majority in the Storting supports the FrP's proposal for a more fair absence limit," Velle stated. He emphasized that the government is now instructed to ensure that the school system's self-certification rules more closely resemble those in working life and that nurses gain the authority to validate absences.
Høyre, which proudly calls itself "the mother of the absence limit," strongly agrees. "We have received feedback from teachers, municipalities, and county municipalities. And from school nurses, students, and parents that this must be changed," said Heidi Nordby Lunde of Høyre, who chairs the Storting's Education Committee. She highlighted the core concern: "It is enormous feedback that particularly students who might be at risk of getting a lot of absence because they are struggling do not seek out the school nurse when they need it for fear of getting even more absence. That is not how it should be."
Addressing Student Health Concerns
Critics argued that a previous clarification from the Ministry of Education and the Labour Party—stating that visits to the school health service after reaching the 10 percent threshold should not count—was insufficient. Lunde confirmed this view, stating, "No, it is not enough. Many students are afraid of reaching the ten percent mark and failing the subject. Now appointments with the school nurse are being cancelled because students do not want to approach ten percent absence in a subject."
She described the old rule as excessively formalistic, where the mere fact of the nurse's municipal employment overrode student welfare. The reform aims to remove a significant barrier to accessing preventative and supportive health services during the school day. By de-linking health consultations from the punitive absence tally, policymakers hope students will seek help earlier for both physical and mental health issues without academic penalty.
The Path to Implementation
The unanimous committee decision sends a clear directive to the government's Ministry of Education. The next step requires the ministry to draft and implement the necessary regulatory changes to align the attendance rules with the committee's intent. This process will involve formalizing the school health nurse's role in attesting to a student's legitimate absence, effectively placing them on equal footing with school-employed counsellors and administrators.
The broad political agreement across party lines suggests the change will proceed smoothly. It represents a pragmatic adjustment to a well-intentioned attendance policy, prioritizing student well-being over bureaucratic rigidity. The move is seen as a corrective measure to ensure that the framework supporting educational attainment does not inadvertently undermine the health safeguards placed within the same institutions.
A Broader Shift in School Policy
This adjustment is part of an ongoing national conversation about balancing academic rigor with student welfare in Norway's education system. The 10 percent absence rule was originally instituted to combat truancy and ensure consistent student engagement. However, its interaction with other support structures has required fine-tuning. The change regarding school nurses acknowledges that health is a foundational component of learning, and that systems should be designed to encourage help-seeking behavior.
For school nurses across Norway's municipalities, the change will legitimize their critical role within the educational environment. For students, it removes an invisible tax on accessing care. The reform underscores a principle that managing administrative boundaries should never create a disincentive for a young person to seek professional health advice. As the Storting's directive moves toward implementation, it marks a small but significant victory for common sense in Norway's classrooms, where a student's left turn to the nurse's office will now carry the same administrative weight as a right turn to the counsellor.