How schooling is organised
Norwegian schooling is ten years of compulsory grunnskole from age six, followed by a statutory right to three years of upper secondary education (videregående opplæring) in either a general or vocational programme. Municipalities run primary and lower secondary schools; county authorities run upper secondary.
The current curriculum, LK20 (Kunnskapsløftet 2020), was a substantial rewrite. Every subject is now defined by a small set of core elements, and three interdisciplinary topics — health and life skills, democracy and citizenship, and sustainable development — run across the whole curriculum. Norway also teaches two written standards of Norwegian, Bokmål and Nynorsk, and Sámi curricula operate in parallel in Sámi districts.
What the directorate publishes
Udir publishes the complete LK20 curriculum, assessment guidance and examination material, including past examination papers and preparatory material for upper secondary subjects. NDLA — the Norwegian Digital Learning Arena, funded by the county authorities — is the standout resource: complete open textbooks and courses for upper secondary subjects, free and openly licensed.
NRK Skole, the public broadcaster's education archive, indexes thousands of clips against curriculum aims. Material is predominantly in Norwegian, with curriculum documents also published in English.
Getting the most out of it
NDLA is the first place to look for upper secondary work — it is a genuine textbook replacement rather than a supplement, and it is aligned to LK20 by design.
For examination subjects, Udir's preparatory material (forberedelsesdel) is released in advance of some examinations and is part of the assessment, so it should be worked through rather than skimmed.
Resource listings
Academic Pathway
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General Studies Programme (Studieforberedende)
Academic upper secondary pathway preparing students for higher education, leading to general university admissions certificate (generell studiekompetanse)
Academic ProgrammeVg1, Vg2, Vg3NorwegianMathematicsEnglishNatural SciencesCurriculum-aligned
Adult Education
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Adult Education and Lifelong Learning
Comprehensive adult education system including alternative pathways to general university admissions certificate (law of 23/5) and continuous professional development opportunities
Adult ProgrammeAll levelsNorwegianMathematicsEnglishNatural SciencesCurriculum-aligned
Core Values
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Core Curriculum - Values and Principles
Overarching framework establishing core values and principles for primary and secondary education, integrated with subject curricula to provide comprehensive educational foundation
Core Framework1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Vg1, Vg2, Vg3Curriculum-aligned
Cross-curricular
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Interdisciplinary Topics Framework
Cross-curricular themes integrated throughout the curriculum: Democracy and Citizenship, Sustainable Development, and Public Health and Life Skills
Thematic Framework1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Vg1, Vg2, Vg3Democracy and CitizenshipSustainable DevelopmentPublic Health and Life SkillsCurriculum-aligned
Curriculum
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LK20 (Læreplanverket for Kunnskapsløftet 2020)
Current national curriculum framework implemented from 2020, emphasizing deeper learning, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary topics including democracy, sustainable development, and public health
National Curriculum1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Vg1, Vg2, Vg3Curriculum-aligned
Education Authority
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Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training (Utdanningsdirektoratet)
Executive agency responsible for implementing national education policy, curriculum development, and supervision of kindergartens and primary/secondary education
Directorate1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Vg1, Vg2, Vg3Curriculum-aligned
Education Statistics
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Norwegian Education Mirror (Utdanningsspeilet)
Annual statistical publication providing comprehensive data and analysis about kindergartens, primary and secondary education quality, performance, and development
Research PublicationAll levelsEducational ResearchStatistical AnalysisCurriculum-aligned
General
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Ministry of Education and Research (Kunnskapsdepartementet)
Norwegian government ministry responsible for kindergartens, primary and secondary education, higher education, research, and adult learning, led by Minister Tonje Brenna
Ministry Portal1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Vg1, Vg2, Vg3Curriculum-aligned
Indigenous Education
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Sami Education and Language Rights
Specialized education ensuring Sami children's rights to education in Sami languages and about Sami culture, integrated into teacher education and curriculum requirements
Indigenous Programme1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Vg1, Vg2, Vg3Sami LanguagesSami CultureSami HistoryCurriculum-aligned
Quality Assurance
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Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT)
Independent agency ensuring quality in higher education and recognizing foreign qualifications, supporting the connection between secondary and tertiary education
Quality AuthorityVg3Quality StandardsEducational AssessmentCurriculum-aligned
Special Education
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Statped - Special Needs Education Service
National service providing special needs education support, resources, and expertise to municipalities and county municipalities for inclusive education
Support Services1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Vg1, Vg2, Vg3Special Support ServicesCurriculum-aligned
System Structure
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Three-Tier School System
Structured education system: Elementary (barneskole, ages 6-12), Lower Secondary (ungdomsskole, ages 13-16), Upper Secondary (videregående skole, ages 16-19)
Education Framework1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Vg1, Vg2, Vg3Curriculum-aligned
Teacher Training
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Teacher Education Programme (4-year)
Integrated, research-based teacher education programmes for years 1-7 and years 5-10, emphasizing theoretical and practical studies, professional development, and inclusive practices
Professional DevelopmentAll levelsPedagogySubject DidacticsProfessional PracticeCurriculum-aligned
Vocational Education
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Vocational Education and Training (VET)
Comprehensive vocational system with 10 education programmes leading to 180+ different trade or journeyman's certificates, following 2+2 model (2 years school + 2 years apprenticeship)
Vocational FrameworkVg1, Vg2, Vg3Technical TradesService TradesIndustrial SpecializationsCurriculum-aligned
All resources listed here are published by government departments, ministries, statutory examination bodies or public broadcasters and were free to access when last checked. OffLearn is not affiliated with any of them. Links open on the publisher's own site. Found a dead link? Tell us and we will fix it.
Other countries
United States
The United States has no national curriculum — standards and materials are set state by state, so the state page is the one that matters.
Canada
Canada has no federal education department at all — each province and territory runs its own curriculum, in English, French or both.
Australia
Australia teaches a single national curriculum that each state and territory adapts, so useful material sits at both the federal and state level.
United Kingdom
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run four genuinely different systems with different curricula and different exams.
New Zealand
New Zealand centralises its curriculum and qualifications nationally, so nearly all official material comes from two agencies.
Ireland
Ireland runs a centralised national curriculum with two high-stakes state examinations and an unusual optional transition year.