Small pots also have ears

It goes well towards summer holidays and after almost a year as a teacher in the Alta school, I have been reminded of something I really know: For youth it is incredibly important. It’s been a decade since I even attended high school, but much is still recognizable.

Being a youth is difficult. It’s both about finding out who you are, but at the same time, and they have to fit in. This balance sheet means that standing out can make youth vulnerable.

These examples say something about what expectations and norms characterize the Alta youth, and how strongly the need for belonging can be. For this, the school’s values ​​are important. It highlights equality, gender equality and human rights as key values ​​that will characterize the school’s practice. As humans, we are different and diverse – and this should not only be accepted, but valued. Still, reality does not always reflect this vision.

In school there is zero tolerance for bullying and hate speech. A great effort is made in school every day to ensure a safe and good school environment for all students. Whether the school always manages to follow this up in practice is another matter. In any case, the principle and legislation are clear. Despite this, the bullying statistics are scary. On a national basis, the student survey for 2025 shows that in 7th stages, 12% say that they have been exposed to bullying, in 10 stages the proportion is 11% and in Vg1 the proportion is 6%.

Attitudes and expressions do not come out of nothing. « Small pots also have ears » is a saying I’ve heard. Children and young people take more than we think. All adults around children and adolescents have a tremendous influence, since they are small and through childhood and adolescence. With that comes responsibility. What are we talking about around the dinner table? How do we refer to the neighbor, the coach, the teacher, and so on. Do we make room to be different? The little pots listen ear and catch how we talk about each other.

Morten Simensen Haldorsen, Ap

Teacher, municipal council representative and

Deputy Chair of the Main Committee for

Growing up, culture and integration