Introduction

Hi! We are a group of 4 student-teachers who got the incredible opportunity to do our 5-week International Practicum stint in Stavanger from 14 May to 15 June! We will be penning down some of our thoughts and reflections over the past five weeks in this blog, as well as to share some of the fun experiences we had during our stay in Stavanger.

First off, we will like to introduce the sunny city of Stavanger! (Disclaimer: we were fortunate enough to experience an 'unnatural' month-long good weather during our stay there! Typical Stavanger weather is often rainy or cloudy!) Located in the southwestern part of Norway, Stavanger is the third largest city and is often referred to as the "Oil Capital of Norway", a moniker reflecting its ties today to the oil and petroleum industry. The coastal city has had several other significant industries throughout its history, ranging from shipping, shipbuilding to fish canning. Today, these industries still remain a part of Stavanger's visible history and heritage, from the dedicated museums to the different landmarks all around the city.

Moving on to the education system, the school year is from mid-August to late-June, divided by a short vacation period during December. One key difference we noticed was the lack of streaming from grades 1-10, which meant that class allocation was often done at random, resulting in classes with a variety of learner types. Schools also play a huge part in community building, with students going to elementary and middle schools that are situated in the neighbourhood. Not only do students come from the same neighbourhood, but they also get to mingle and form bonds with their classmates. This is further strengthened by how students, as we observed in the middle schools we were in, stayed in the same class throughout their 3 years in middle school.

The four of us were posted to two different middle schools in Stavanger, with Rina and Jopescu going to Kannik Skole, while Audrey and Shu Han went to St. Svithun Skole.

Kannik Skole is one of the largest middle schools in Norway, with an estimated student population of around 600. It is situated in a largely affluent neighbourhood, which might have also influenced the relatively homogenous nature of the students. The vast majority of students at Kannik are Norwegian, with a few students coming from a different ethnic background.

St. Svithun Skole is one of the older schools in Stavanger, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. It has approximately 300 students and enjoys a greater level of diversity in the student population. While the majority remains largely Norwegian, there are more students from different backgrounds, family and ethnicity, which has added to the diversity of the population.