Should children’s learning be determined by their…

This is happening in Norway, even now, in the middle of an election campaign. Politicians talk about school, taxes, and the economy. But the most fundamental question is this: Do all children have equal opportunities to learn? 

Figures from the Utenfor-regnskapet (Exclusion Account) show that more and more children are growing up in families facing financial challenges. In recent years, NRK has also documented how social differences shape children’s upbringing and school life. When some children find support and security at home, while others face unrest and worry, the conditions for learning become very unequal. 

This is not only a challenge for teachers in the classroom, but for leadership across the entire childhood and education sector. As inequalities grow, kindergartens, schools, and municipalities must decide how to organize efforts and resources – so that success does not depend on chance or on the engagement of a few individuals. 

International research supports this as well. Professor Lee Elliot Major shows that children with the same abilities can achieve completely different results in school – not because of ability, but because of differences in upbringing and support. When some receive systematic follow-up at home and others do not, the gap widens. 

That is why school and municipal leadership become absolutely crucial. Take reading instruction as an example: When a single teacher offers extra help, it can mean a lot. But when an entire municipality coordinates its efforts – with joint plans, early intervention, and a team around the child – then we create frameworks that truly reduce inequalities. Then all children get the opportunity to succeed. 

This is also the core message of the book Leadership in the Childhood and Education Sector: Leadership is about seeing the whole picture and creating collaboration across boundaries. When schools, kindergartens, health services, and municipalities work together, equality becomes more than a word – it becomes a living practice. 

At IMTEC, we are passionate about contributing to this. Not because we are “selling a method,” but because we believe that leaders and staff in the childhood and education sector have one of the most important jobs in society: To give children and young people a real opportunity to learn, to succeed, and to experience belonging in the community. Our commitment is to support leaders and teams in asking the questions that truly matter: 

• Who are the children we are not reaching in their learning? 

• How can we create frameworks that ensure equal opportunities for all? 

Election campaigns are about priorities. About the frameworks we as a society choose to set. And we believe this: The most important investment is to ensure that every child gets to learn, succeed, and know that they matter. 

Equality is not a buzzword. It is a choice. And when we choose to see every child, we strengthen not only learning and community – but also our democracy.