Assessing Children in the Nordic Countries: Framing, Diversity and Matters of Inclusion and Exclusion in a School for All

Abstract

Recent tendencies within assessment in comprehensive school in Nordic countries raise the question of the role of different practices of assessments, on how assessments are being used, for which purposes and the consequences of this. Assessments can be considered to be an integrated part of formal educational settings, in different forms and used for different purpose. In the chapter we will discuss and analyse the use of assessments in comprehensive school in the Nordic countries through time, as we will include different kinds of documentary and empirical studies in the argumentation. We will focus on which kinds of assessments have been used, for which purposes and the role of this in the perspective of society. More contemporary trends will be discussed, specifically the use of standardised testing. The Nordic countries differ at some points concerning the use of assessments of this character. Assessments point to and create differences between pupils and play a key role in processes of socialisation, marginalisation and in- and exclusion in society, as discussed by theorists such as Bourdieu and Bernstein. If the comprehensive school is based on the general idea of a school for all, how can different ways of practising assessment support or work against this idea? What conclusions can be drawn from the experiences in the Nordic countries?