Debate, Kindergartens | High quality at the kindergartens in Sarpsborg, but room for improvement

For the first time, I have had the opportunity to be a case manager and I am happy that my first job as such was precisely for the quality report on Sarpsborg kindergartens.

It gave me a unique insight into our kindergartens and I am left as an even prouder Sarpsborg citizen.

For the kindergarten sector in Sarpsborg municipality, something is very special. We have a variety of different types of kindergartens – from municipal to chains, congregation-based, individual to family nurseries. This I’m pretty sure is a strength. We see this in both the quality that is delivered and how satisfied parents report that they are in the parent surveys.

I am particularly impressed by the very smallest kindergartens and what they achieve. But despite this strength, there are also areas that need improvement.

Degree of coverage in kindergarten and participation

It is great to know that in 2023 all children who were entitled to a kindergarten place were offered this, given that they applied within the deadline for the main admission. Those who did not apply in time for various reasons ended up on a waiting list. A waiting list which, unfortunately, we see has increased recently.

Furthermore, we also see that Sarpsborg is below the national average for kindergarten participation. Especially when we know that kindergarten is an important tool for fighting social inequality and preparing children for the future.

It is possible that kindergarten attendance will increase after the government decided that the maximum price in kindergarten will be reduced from NOK 3,000 to NOK 2,000 a month until the autumn. And that this will give more families the opportunity to send their children to kindergarten, but then we must also ensure that there are enough places.

When we see that the number of children in kindergarten has decreased from 2022 to 2023, while waiting lists have increased. Is it a clear sign that we need to expand capacity in our municipality.

Varteig kindergarten and open kindergarten have been part of the solution, but more needs to be done. Open daycare in particular is a recruitment arena. We also have, among other things, an unused kindergarten bus, which we could have successfully put into use. But where should we increase capacity and by how much?

We will hopefully have that answer before too long when the municipal sub-plan for nursery and school capacity comes into place. This will provide a status of capacity and an assessment of the need for future nursery places against recent forecasts.

High competence among employees

It is pleasing to see that Sarpsborg is above the national average when it comes to the number of kindergarten teachers. This shows that we have a good offer and that we attract qualified staff. At the same time, we are below the national average for the number of children per adult, but within the staffing norm. This is something we must continue to work on to ensure the quality of our offer.

In order to continue to be an attractive municipality for nursery staff with expertise, we must give them good development opportunities and support them in their work. This can be done through competence schemes, local measures and support for the kindergartens. It is important to give time and resources to implement such measures.

Adaptation and inclusion

Children have different needs, and it is important that our nurseries adapt to ensure inclusion. The project “Adapted and inclusive kindergarten and school” has already shown good results, with a reduced need for special educational help because the regular provision has been better adapted to all children.

Another successful project is “Recruitment of minority language children to the kindergartens”. From 2019 to 2023, there has been a steady increase in the number of minority-language children in Sarpsborg’s kindergartens, which shows that the efforts are paying off.

Despite the successes, total kindergarten participation has decreased over time. This may partly be due to a lack of nursery places, as mentioned earlier.

As politicians, we must take a closer look at how we can solve this problem. The nurseries in Sarpsborg are undoubtedly of high quality, but there is always room for improvement. With the right focus and resources, we can ensure that our children get the best start in life and a strong foundation for the future.

Let’s together make Sarpsborg an even better place for our youngest residents.