Allegedly, five schools in a remote district in Norway are rearranging the dates of midterm exams so that students don’t have to choose between going to see Justin Bieber in Oslo on April 16th and 17th. and their education.
Kristin Halvorsen, Norway’s education minister, said, “I am concerned that students should be concentrating when they take tests and midterms. The local schools have the responsibility to schedule the local midterms, and if they think there is any reason to change the dates, they have authority to do so.” She added: “We’ve all been 14-years-old and know that interests can be intense.”
I’m torn between derision and admiration. Should we remove difficult decisions from teenagers? And what about those smart kids who can see through all the hype?