“If newly arrived immigrants are to understand and find their way around Norwegian society, instruction in civics is key,” said President of the Storting Olemic Thommessen. “This course aims to increase knowledge about the Storting among teachers working in adult education for immigrants. Teachers are a way of reaching these pupils, so that they achieve a better understanding Norwegian democracy and the importance of participating.”

Photographs from the visit are available on Flickr. The pictures may be used freely if credited.

On Wednesday 9 November, the President of the Storting welcomed 50 teachers from all over Norway to the Storting in a Lagting Chamber filled to capacity. Most of the teachers were immigrants themselves, as adult-education civics is taught in the mother tongue of the learners.

The Storting course is the first part of a two-day course in civics, organised in cooperation with Vox, the Norwegian Agency for Lifelong Learning.

Adapted teaching programme

After the President of the Storting’s welcome, the teachers were shown examples of the Storting’s adult-learning activities, including a guided tour of the most important rooms in the Storting building and the instructional programme “Standpunkt”. Adults with immigrant background are a priority target group for the Storting’s information efforts. The goal is to boost democratic engagement.

The teachers also attended the oral Question Time in the Storting Chamber, during which much of the debate centred on the results of presidential election in the United States.

Members of the Storting shared their personal experiences

After Question Time the teachers were given an opportunity to meet two experienced members of the Storting. Dag Terje Andersen (Labour Party) spoke on the relationship between the Storting and the Government; Ingjerd Schou (Conservative Party) explained the functions of the Storting. Several teachers pointed out that the Storting’s invitation to the teachers itself bears witness to the distinctive nature of Norwegian democracy, as does the willingness of members to prioritise the meeting.

“It was particularly interesting to hear the politicians tell of their experiences from their work in the Storting,” said Hassan Fattouhi, from Tønsberg Adult Education.

“It enhances my understanding of the roles and functions of the Storting, and I learned a lot of new things. For instance, I wasn’t aware that the Presidium acted as a sort of executive committee for the Storting,” he said.

Mr Andersen and Ms Schou both emphasised that engagement and participation are keys to a vibrant democracy, and that it is an important job of teachers to pass that understanding on to their pupils.

“In Norway, the highest political authority is the voters on election day,” said Mr Andersen. “That is the very essence of Norwegian democracy.”

Path into politics

The Deputy Mayor of Oslo, Khamshajiny Gunaratnam (Labour Party), and former Member of the Storting Akhtar Chaudhry (Socialist Left Party) have both contributed actively in the debate over political participation by minority-language speakers in Norway. A panel discussion featuring those two and moderated by Linda Noor, director of the Minotenk think tank, rounded off the teachers’ day at the Storting.

“Political participation is perhaps more important than ever,” Ms Noor observed.

Both Ms Gunaratnam and Mr Chaudhry told the teachers that their political engagement was kindled in their youth, and they spoke of how they entered into politics.

“Role models are very important,” Ms Gunaratnam pointed out.

Mr Chaudhry contended that minority-language speakers were inadequately represented in political bodies, and that this represents a problem for today’s democracy.

“I am not first and foremost an immigrant, but a Norwegian citizen and a citizen of Oslo,” he said. “It is a privilege to be elected to political office, to be able to make a contribution, and to be a part of decision making.”

“The objective is for everyone to feel they are involved and contributing to Norwegian democracy,” said Ms Gunaratnam. “There are many ways of taking part: from writing opinion articles in the newspapers and being active on social media to joining a political party.”