Free after-school care in Norway becomes a statutory right from 1 August, guaranteeing pupils in the first three years of primary school 12 free hours each week. The reform requires municipalities to provide enough places for eligible children whose families request the service.
Free after-school care is now guaranteed by law
The new provision covers pupils from the first to the third grade and applies to Norway’s municipal after-school programme, known as the school leisure scheme (skolefritidsordningen, or SFO).
SFO provides care and supervision outside normal school hours, while offering play, cultural activities and other leisure opportunities adapted to children’s ages, abilities and interests. According to the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training, almost 170,000 children attend the service every day.
Families were already entitled under national regulations to 12 free weekly hours for children in the first three grades. However, the arrangement applied only to pupils who had secured an SFO place and relied on municipalities offering sufficient capacity.
The legislative change announced by the Ministry of Education and Research turns those free hours into an enforceable legal entitlement. Municipalities must therefore ensure that children who request the service can actually receive it.
Municipalities must adapt their local provision
The reform changes more than the legal basis of the subsidy. It also affects how Norwegian municipalities organise SFO and formulate their local regulations.
Municipalities retain considerable freedom to design their after-school services according to local circumstances and needs. They must nevertheless comply with the requirements established by the Education Act (opplæringslova) and national regulations.
The Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training has updated its model regulations for municipalities to reflect the new entitlement from August 2026. Local authorities will have to ensure that the number of available places is sufficient for families wishing to use the 12 free hours.
A more consistent service across Norway
The distinction between a subsidised place and a legally guaranteed right is particularly relevant where demand exceeds local capacity. Under the previous framework, children could benefit from the free hours only after obtaining a place. The new law places a clearer obligation on municipalities to accommodate eligible applicants.
The reform can make access to after-school care more consistent across Norway, although municipalities will continue to determine how their services operate beyond the national minimum requirements.
For families, guaranteed access may also make it easier to coordinate school hours with employment and other responsibilities. Its practical impact will depend on how municipalities expand capacity and organise the free hours when the new school year begins.
