Representational file photo.
Oslo: The Norwegian government has announced a new national initiative to improve children's reading skills, pledging an additional one billion Norwegian kroner (98 million U.S. dollars) over the next four years.
"Norwegian children used to be among the world's best readers. But today 15,000 students leave primary school without being able to read properly. This is serious," said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store on Monday, when presenting the government's main initiatives in schools in a library in Oslo.
"Being able to read well is absolutely crucial for understanding and learning in all subjects, for further education and work, and for living good lives," he added.
The plan includes a national reading campaign starting in 2026 and five key measures daily reading in all grades, more physical books, reduced screen time for younger students, targeted reading support, and a new national reading strategy.
The government also aims to make schools more practical and engaging, expanding equipment funding to younger grades and replacing general physical activity hours with structured physical education.
Despite an increase in teaching hours, recent studies have shown a decline in both learning outcomes and student motivation, the Norwegian government said, blaming excessive screen use and overly theoretical curricula for contributing to the decline. (1 Norwegian krone = 0.098 U.S. dollar)
