No Comment – Parental Involvement in Education in Norway

How involved are Norwegian parents in their children’s education, from school years to university life? Our latest omnibus survey explores parental involvement in Norway, showing how much support parents provide today, how they remember their own parents’ role, and what they believe the right level of involvement should look like.

Current Parental Involvement in Norway

Norwegian parents are actively engaged in their children’s education, but in selective ways.

Three out of four parents (75.2%) say they are involved in their child’s school or academic life.
One in four (24.8%) admit they are not involved at all, with women less engaged than men (32.8% of females vs. 24.8% overall).
Parents aged 25–44 show the highest level of involvement, while participation decreases in older age groups.

The most common ways parents support children’s education include:

Attending parent-teacher meetings (51.9%)
Helping with homework and study support (49.6%)
Monitoring progress via digital platforms (34.2%)

Meanwhile, fewer parents take part in extracurricular involvement: only 9% are members of parent associations or councils.

Looking Back: How Their Own Parents Were Involved

When asked about their own school years, Norwegians recall very similar patterns of parental involvement:

64.1% remember their parents attending teacher meetings.
48.8% say their parents helped with homework or studying.
Women were more likely to receive financial help (30.4%) than men (24.5%).
Parents were slightly more active in monitoring boys’ progress (27%) compared to girls (24.7%).

Interestingly, men aged 55–64 reported the lowest financial support for extracurricular activities or tutoring compared to other groups.

Their Expectations: What Parents Should Do (Children Under 18)

Norwegians strongly believe that parents should play an active role in school life before children turn 18:

79.6% expect parents to attend parent-teacher meetings.
76.3% believe parents should help with homework.
68.3% say parents should monitor progress.
Only 3% think parents should not be involved at all.

Older Norwegians are especially supportive of monitoring minors’ education, while younger men (18–34) are least likely to favor participation in parent associations.

When Children Grow Up: A Different Kind of Involvement

Once children move into higher education, Norwegians expect parental involvement to change:

64.7% say parents should encourage independence.
63.7% highlight emotional support as essential.
61.1% believe parents should help with practical matters such as housing, administration, or student loans.

Only 13.1% believe parents should monitor academic progress or contact university staff. Still, just 7.6% of Norwegians think parents should have no role at all at this stage, with men more likely than women to agree (10.3% vs. 4.9%).

Conclusion: Evolving Roles of Parents in Education in Norway

Parental involvement in Norway is considered important across all stages of education. During school years, the focus is on hands-on support: homework help, teacher meetings, and monitoring progress. In higher education, the role shifts to guidance, encouragement, and practical assistance as children become more independent.

Syno International conducted the survey through its Answers Omnibus from September 18th through September 25th, 2025. The data was collected through online panels using a nationally representative sample of Norwegians aged 18 to 80, balanced by gender and region.

No Comment is an initiative from Syno to share data from consumers' views on relevant topics. Do you have any questions you would like to ask? Do not hesitate to reach out to us at Syno!