“A teacher is both a worker and somewhat of an artist, and we
need to balance these two perspectives.” - Principal Bjorn
Bolstad More from Norway By C. M. Rubin with Harry Rubin and
Michael Freeborn In July of 2011, Dr. Kirsten Sivesind,
distinguished professor in the University of Oslo Faculty of
Education, shared her education perspectives with us in The
Global Search for Education: A View from Norway. Today, with the
help of Kirsten Sivesind, and Principal Bjorn Bolstad, the
faculty and students of the Ringstabekk Skole in Barum, a suburb
of Oslo (http://www.ringstabekk.net), we are able to share with
you some additional education insights into how a model
Norwegian public school is addressing skills needed in the 21st
century. Principal Bolstad, what are the backgrounds of the
pupils in your public school? What is the diversity (racial and
socio-economic) within the student body? Our school draws pupils
from our local community. They are teenagers living near the
school. Our community is not very diversif