OSLO, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Norway's capital city is to employ 50 new teachers to help primary school students catch up in school, newspaper Aftenposten reported Tuesday.
The new teachers will be working with students from the first to fourth grades on short-term intensive education, inspired by the Finnish school system, the report said.
According to Oslo city councillor Tone Tellevik Dahl, the measure will be part of her proposal for the revised municipal budget for 2017, which will be published later on Tuesday.
"In Oslo, as in the whole of Norway, there are three times as many resources used in the special education of 10th-graders than in first grade. We know, however, that learning difficulties that are not taken care of increase over time," Dahl said.
"We want to turn the pyramid upside down and use more resources in the early stages," she said.
Dahl added that the idea came from the Finnish school system, which is presented by many as an example to follow and that has, for many years, done very well in the international PISA surveys.
The proposal for the revised municipal budget is to be approved by the city council before the summer vacation, Aftenposten wrote.
At the start of school year last autumn, 35 new teachers were employed in primary schools and 35 additional teachers are to be employed by selected schools and should be ready for autumn 2017.
With the 50 additional positions announced now, there will be 120 new teachers in total.
However, only some of Oslo's 110 primary schools will get new teachers. The city council wishes to select about 15 schools where the challenges are greatest and employ the teachers there.
"We do not spread resources equally everywhere, but use them where they are needed. By treating the schools differently, we give Oslo students equal opportunities," Dahl said.
