Equity and Life-Long Learning: An Analysis of White Paper No. 16 (2006/2007) of Norway

Nationally and internationally equity in education has become a key goal. In Norway, a White Paper has been tabled to address how equity can be improved through education. In this paper the pedagogic and knowledge orientation of the initiatives are analyzed and discussed in relation to two models of equity: "equity through equality" and "equity through diversity." The paper finds that although contradictions are present, the Norwegian ministry clearly favors the equality model. The author claims that the presented policies can be understood as a response to the global educational trend that Apple refers to as "conservative modernization." This can further be related to Bernstein's "Totally Pedagogised Society," where the adaptable, trainable individual is a key notion. The paper concludes that the lack of attention given to the diversity of citizens may be a major shortcoming, as lack of recognition is in many ways what causes educational failure in the first place. (Contains 3 tables and 7 footnotes.)