DistantNews
Support us
Mandatory attendance forces students back to campus, but engages no one
🇳🇴 Norway /Culture & Society

Mandatory attendance forces students back to campus, but engages no one

From Aftenposten · () Norwegian

Translated from Norwegian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Opinion Sources not specified Context piece
  • Norwegian student organizations argue that mandatory attendance does not address the root causes of student absence.
  • They advocate for improving teaching quality and ensuring student financial stability instead of enforcing physical presence.
  • Low student engagement and financial pressures from part-time jobs are cited as key reasons for non-attendance.

Mandatory attendance for university students will not solve the core issues preventing their physical presence on campus, according to Sigve Næss Røtvold, leader of the Norwegian Student Organization.

We are completely agreed that students learn best on campus, and we want as many as possible to attend classes. But mandatory teaching will not solve the actual challenges that prevent students from attending classes.

— Sigve Næss RøtvoldLeader of the Norwegian Student Organization, commenting on the proposal for mandatory student attendance.

While acknowledging that students learn best on campus, Røtvold argues that forcing attendance overlooks the real challenges. He suggests that if lectures merely repeat textbook material, students will naturally deprioritize attending. Instead of compulsion, universities should focus on making teaching engaging and providing genuine value beyond the syllabus.

In the worst case, it will be a comfort to not focus on our instructors' pedagogical competence.

— Sigve Næss RøtvoldExpressing concern that mandatory attendance might reduce the focus on improving teaching methods.

Student engagement is a significant concern, with only 60% of students in the 2025 "Studiebarometeret" survey reporting engaging lectures. Røtvold emphasizes that improving teaching quality will naturally increase attendance. Furthermore, he highlights the critical issue of student finances. Many students rely on part-time jobs to make ends meet, often forcing them to choose between work shifts and attending classes.

If the teaching is actually just knowledge that the student can read themselves in the syllabus, it is easier to prioritize down attendance on campus.

— Sigve Næss RøtvoldExplaining why students might skip classes if the material is easily accessible elsewhere.

To address this, Røtvold calls for an increase in student financial aid, suggesting it be tied to at least 1.5 times the basic amount of the national insurance scheme. This would allow students to focus more on their studies. He also points out that campus presence is important for collaborative study and volunteer work, urging universities to provide adequate spaces for students to use campus facilities outside of lectures.

We must think more engagement, not coercion and punishment.

— Sigve Næss RøtvoldAdvocating for a more engaging approach to education rather than mandatory measures.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Aftenposten in Norwegian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog