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Special education and individual adaptation

Draft, translated: translated from the Norwegian original with the help of a language model, and may contain errors. The Norwegian version is the authoritative one. See the Norwegian original →

If a pupil is not getting a satisfactory benefit from ordinary teaching, there is a right to individual adaptation. How the process works, and how to complain.

Norwegian original last checked against official sources: 21 September 2026. Rules and figures change, so always check the official site before you act.

If a pupil is not getting a satisfactory benefit from the ordinary, adapted teaching, the pupil has the right to more individually adapted education. In the new Education Act, which applies from 1 August 2024, this is divided into several rights, but the basic principle is the same: teaching should be adapted to the pupil who needs it.

How the process works

  1. Ask for an assessment. You or the pupil can ask the headteacher for a decision on individual adaptation, if you believe the pupil needs it. The school can also take the initiative itself.
  2. An expert assessment from the Educational-Psychological Service (PPT). A decision on special education or individual adaptation must be based on an expert assessment from the educational-psychological service (PPT). See PPT: educational-psychological service.
  3. You should be heard. The law requires that the pupil and the parents be involved in assessing the need and how the arrangement should work, and that their views carry significant weight.
  4. An individual decision. The school makes a decision that is an individual administrative decision, with the right to complain.

If you disagree

You can complain about:

  • a refusal of the right to special education or individual adaptation,
  • the content of the decision,
  • the handling of the case itself,
  • the school not implementing what the decision says.

The complaint is sent to whoever made the decision (the school or the municipality), normally within three weeks of receiving the decision or when you should have become aware of it. If they do not rule in your favour, the complaint is sent on to the County Governor (Statsforvalteren), who is the appeals body for most cases under the Education Act.

Tips

  • Describe concretely how the pupil is doing in the classroom and with schoolwork, not just the diagnosis.
  • Ask for a copy of the expert assessment.
  • Keep track of whether the decision is actually implemented in practice, not just on paper.

See also The right to a safe and good school environment if the case also involves bullying or wellbeing.

Sources

Kontaktpunkt24 gives general information, not legal advice. If you need help with your own case, contact a lawyer, a legal aid service, or the relevant authority.

This page is translated from Norwegian with the help of a language model, and may contain errors. The Norwegian version is always the authoritative one.