Leave of absence from primary and lower secondary school

Students can take a leave of absence from primary and lower secondary school for up to two weeks. The school will decide whether it is appropriate to grant the leave of absence. Granting leave for more than two weeks at a time is not permitted.

Students who belong to a religious community outside of the Church of Norway have the right to leaves of absence for religious holidays. Parents must provide the necessary tuition during the leave of absence so that the student will not be behind once they return to their regular classes.

See Section 2-11, first and second paragraphs, of the Education Act.

Forvaltningsloven
Opplæringslova

The municipality will process the case as soon as possible. If a decision cannot be reached on the case within one month, you will receive a written message stating the reason as to why. You will also be informed of when the decision is expected to be made.

If you are dissatisfied with the decision, you can appeal to the municipality within three weeks from the date on which you received it. Explain what you are dissatisfied with and why you believe the decision should be changed. If you need guidance, you can enquire with the municipality. If the municipality upholds its decision, the case will be passed on to the county governor, who will determine whether the appeal should be sustained.