Please contact head of staff directly or on phone or e-mail in case you are exposed to inappropriate behavior during the congress.
Information and program for international guests
Welcome to the National Congress of The Union of Education Norway 2023.
Information and program for international guests
Welcome to the National Congress of The Union of Education Norway 2023.
The Union of Education Norway (UEN) is the largest union for teachers with approximately 192.000 members at all levels of the educational system in Norway. It’s political mandate is to work to safeguard the rights of our members and to influence developments in educational policy both at home and internationally.
Sunday November 5th:
20:00 Informal dinner (for those who have arrived)
Monday November 6th:
09:00 – 09:30 Opening of Congress
09:30 – 10:15 Speech by Steffen Handal, President of UEN
10:30 – 16:30 Special seminar for our international guests (in English):
10:30 – 11.15 Introduction by General Secretary Lars Erik Wærstad
(UEN, Congress and UENs role in the educational sector and the Norwegian society)
11.15 – 12:00 The Norwegian Education System by Senior Advisor Martin Minken
12:00 – 13. 30 Lunch
13.30 – 14.30 “We Educate Norway” by Senior Advisor Naomi Aass Girardeau
14.30 Greetings to the Congress by the Norwegian Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre
15.00 – 15.45 “We Educate Norway” continues by Senior Advisor Naomi Aass Girardeau
15.45 – 16.00 Q&As and closure
16.30 – 20.00 Ordinary Congress continues
20:00 Dinner
NB! The seminar for our foreign guest that will be in English, and the President’s speech will be available in an English translation.
Tuesday November 7th:
09:00 Leadership elections
10:30 We Educate Norway
12:30 Lunch
13:30 General Secretary David Edwards and others will speak to the Congress
14:00 We Educate Norway
NB! For Tuesday we will provide interpretation in English and Spanish all day during Congress
19:30 Welcome reception for International Guests
20:00 Dinner for International Guests and UENs Executive Board
Wednesday November 8th:
09.30 – 17.00 A taste of Norwegian heritage and culture (guided tour in English):
09.30 Departure Thon Hotel Arena by Bus
10.15 Oslo City Hall
11.15 Visit at the National Library of Norway and the Language Council of Norway
12.45 Lunch at Soria Moria Holmenkollen
13.45 Tour continues (Vigeland Sculpture Park, The Fram Museum, among other interesting sites)
17.00 Arrival Thon Hotel Arena
Thursday November 9th:
09:00 – 17:30 Congress continues with different organizational issues until closure at 17:30
20:00 Banquet
NB! No interpretation on Thursday
The highest decision-making body
The Congress is the highest decision-making body of the union. Every four years, delegates from all over the country gather to take stock of the state of affairs of the organisation and plot the political course ahead.
The congress will also elect a new political leadership. In addition to the 200 delegates, the congress will be honored by the presence of our international guests and guests from national authorities and organisations.
Key topics
We look forward to fruitful and good discussions on important issues for the future of the teaching profession.
Key topics for this Congress:
- Protecting the teacher title.
- The role of the teacher and the team around children, youth and adults in education.
- Assessment in school.
- More relevant teacher education study programs.
- The need for new collective agreement policy instruments and political goals at the confederation level.
Information about our politics in english:
Principles for Union of Education Norway’s international work
Union of Education Norway – climate change and sustainable development action plan 2021–2023
Professional ethics for the teaching profession
Diversity and integration – strategic plan (pdf)
Basic elements for the development of quality education (pdf)
Similar challenges
Teacher unions all over the world are facing similar challenges and we need to meet them together – both as national unions – but also as members of Education International.
Participating at each other’s congresses is one way of getting insight into the ongoing work of the union and the political challenges when it comes to education.
David Edwards, Education International (EI)
General Secretary
Haldis Holst, Education International (EI)
Deputy General Secretary
Larry Flanagan, European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE)
President
Susan Flocken, European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE)
General Secretary
Christer Holmlund, Nordic Teachers` Council (NLS)
General Secretary
Mugwena Maluleke, South African Democratic Teachers' Union (SADTU) South Africa
General Secretary
Fatima Da Silva, National Confederation of Education Workers (CNTE) Brazil
General Secretary
Becky Pringle, National Education Association (NEA) USA
President
Shannon McCann, National Education Association (NEA) USA
Executive committee leader
Daaiyah Bilal-Threats, National Education Association (NEA)USA
Senior Director for Education Policy & International Relations
Manuela Mendonça, National Federation of Teachers (FENPROF) Portugal
President
Johanna Jaara Åstrand, Swedish Teachers' Union (STU) Sweden
President
Lena Durfors, Swedish Teachers' Union (STU) Sweden
General Secretary
Ina Eriksson, Swedish Teachers' Union (STU) Sweden
Head of international team
Gordon Ørskov Madsen, Danish Union of Teachers (DFL) Denmark
President
Lasse Bjerg Jørgensen, Danish National Federation of Early Childhood Denmark
Head of International Relations and Youth Educators (BUPL)
and National Treasurer
Birna Heinesen, Faroe Islands Teacher Union Faroe Islands
President
Emma Rose, National Education Union (NEU) UK
President
Venue for the Congress:
Thon Hotel Arena at Lillestrøm – halfway between the Oslo Airport Gardermoen (OSL) and downtown Oslo with the Airport Express train (10 min. with train to either the airport or Oslo).
Get off at Lillestrøm Station and follow the sign: "Messesenter/Exhibition center" – that will take you to Thon Hotel Arena (a 4-5 min. walk).
Timetable Airport Express Train (Oslo Airport-Lillestrøm-Oslo Airport)
Timetable VY (regular train) Oslo Airport-Lillestrøm-Oslo-Lillestrøm-Oslo Airport
Contact information
The weather in Oslo in November is relatively cold with temperatures between 0°C and 5°C degrees. We recommend that you bring some warm clothes to wear when you are outside. Rain showers and snow may also occur!
Let us know if you have any allergies or further inquiries at this point. Rune Fimreite will be present at the entire Congress and if you have any needs or questions before, upon or after arrival do not hesitate to contact him on [email protected] or + 47 95 74 67 64.