Ratified by the City Council

14.12.2016
Case no. 393/16

Admissions system for kindergartens in Bergen

Municipality
Applies from the main admission 2017

1. Right to a kindergarten place on main admission pursuant to the Kindergarten Act

section 12a
 Children who turn one year old at the latest at the end of August of the year for which
an application has been submitted are entitled to a place in a kindergarten from August
on application.
 Children who turn one year old in September or October are entitled to a place in a
kindergarten from the month in which the child turns one year old. If the
parent/guardian wishes to have an earlier start date, this shall be possible.

2. Main admission, transfer admission, supplementary admissions:

Bergen Municipality has a main admission, supplementary admissions and a transfer
admission when applying for a kindergarten place. The table below explains the different
elements in the admissions system.

Takes place in Transfer admission

the period Takes place prior to the main admission
January/February This admission applies to children who already have a kindergarten place
and who are applying to other kindergartens. The application is
administered by the kindergarten that is the first choice. Placement offers
apply from August.

The following shall also apply to the 2018 transfer admission: Children
who have a kindergarten place in a different district from that in which
they reside shall be prioritised.

Takes place in Main admission

the period Applies to children who are entitled to a place pursuant to the
March/June Kindergarten Act section 12a and who have not been offered a place in a
kindergarten. Placement offers apply from August.

Continual Supplementary admissions

admission when Take place throughout the entire year when there are vacant places.
vacancies arise Supplementary admissions apply to both children who have and who do
not have a kindergarten place.
Statutory criteria 1. Children with a disability, cf. the Kindergarten Act section 13
for admission to 2. Children who are covered by the Child Welfare Service Act sections 4-
private and 12 and 4-4, second and fourth subsections.
municipal
kindergartens
 Ratified by the City Council
14.12.2016
Case no. 393/16

 The application deadline for the main admission is March 1, and places are granted
from August.
 It is not possible to change an existing application during the main admission period.
 Up to three kindergartens can be applied for in order of priority.
 Applicants who have declined a place offer for which they have applied are entitled to
remain registered as applicants to their first choice kindergarten.

3. Applications received after the application deadline for main admission:

Applications that are received after the March 1 application deadline for main admission are
included in supplementary admissions.

4. Admissions authority:
The kindergarten owner is the admissions authority.
 In municipal kindergartens, a centralised main admission is carried out by the
Department of Kindergartens, Schools and Sport (BBSI), Section for Kindergartens
and Schools.
 The carrying out of transfer admission and supplementary admissions is delegated to
the individual administrator in the municipal kindergarten.

5. Admissions criteria:
The admissions criteria apply for municipal kindergartens, as well as private kindergartens
that have enshrined these criteria in their articles of association. Admissions criteria a. and b.
apply under the condition that adequate documentation is submitted. Applications for
inclusion in a prioritised group are administered centrally by the Department of
Kindergartens, Schools and Sport (BBSI), Section for Kindergartens and Schools.

a.
- Children with a disability under section 13 of the Kindergarten Act.
Required documentation: Written certificate from a doctor/psychologist, speech
therapist, pedagogical psychological service (PPT) and/or social medical
institutions
- Children covered by section 4-4 second and fourth subsection and section 4-12 of
the Child Welfare Services Act
Required documentation: Administrative decision by the child welfare service.

b. Municipal criteria for priority in addition to statutory requirements:

1. Siblings of children who already have a place in the kindergarten to which an
application has been made. Children of staff in the municipal kindergarten in
which a parent/guardian works, as well as special pedagogues and assistant
pedagogues. Sibling priority does not apply when the sibling is starting school in
August.
Required documentation: Written application by the parent/guardian with a
reference to the child that is already active in the kindergarten.
 Ratified by the City Council
14.12.2016
Case no. 393/16

2. Other prioritised criteria/groups:

 Children with parents/guardians who are severely sight impaired/blind.
Required documentation: Written certificate from a doctor and/or medical
institution confirming severe sight impairment/blindness.
 Children of sole providers who are unemployed, working or studying.
Required documentation: Confirmation from the Labour and Welfare
Administration (NAV) stating that you are a sole provider or unemployed.
Confirmation from your employer/education institution that you are
working or studying.
 Minority-language children where both parents are born in another country
(outside of the Nordic countries and non-English speaking) and/or the child
has little or no knowledge of Norwegian (tested and documented by the
health service). Priority only applies once, during the main admission.
Required documentation: Confirmation from the community health centre.
 Prioritisation by district when granting kindergarten places

3. Numbered application list sorted by date of birth. The oldest child is granted a
place first. Importance shall be attached to the date that the parent/guardian has
registered as the desired start date.

4. There are two application lists: one for children under 3 years of age and one for
children 3 years of age.

6. The kindergarten owner decides its own catchment area and admissions criteria
pursuant to the Kindergarten Act. The whole of Bergen is the catchment area for
municipal kindergartens.

7. It is possible to appeal the administrative decision regarding admittance to a

prioritised admission group. Administrative decisions relating to denied applications
for kindergarten places can be appealed in accordance with applicable Regulations.

8. All kindergartens in Bergen Municipality are included in the coordinated

admissions system.

9. In the event of closure of kindergarten places: children who have already been
granted a place through the coordinated admissions system are given priority for a
new kindergarten place. Private and municipal kindergartens distribute the children
through the coordinated admissions system. The children are only given one offer of a
new place and if the offer is declined, the priority ceases.