Norway’s Immigrant Population and the Educational System: Grounds for Optimism?

Abstract

In this study, we analyse changes in the composition of the immigrant population in Norway and the educational achievements of various groups of immigrants. Our analyses use quantitative indicators to distinguish between the various sub-categories of the immigrant population, both with regard to reasons for immigration (such as labour, refugees, and family), as well as in relation to the immigrants’ geographical origins. We also analyse the educational achievements of the descendants of immigrants, utilising a theoretical approach that is often used as a framework of interpretation in analyses of social mobility, as well as integrational and educational outcomes for various categories of descendants. Our empirical analyses show that the descendants achieve greater success within the Norwegian educational system than might be expected based on USA-developed theoretical frameworks. The paper discusses possible reasons for these better-than-expected achievements within the Norwegian context.