Scientific outcry as Norway approves loans for astrology courses

A row has erupted in Norway after 바카라사이트 country¡¯s higher education regulator agreed to accredit courses in astrology, meaning students will be able to use government loans to look for meaning in 바카라사이트 stars.

Norwegian scientists have criticised 바카라사이트 decision, but 바카라사이트 Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT) said that in making 바카라사이트 ruling it was only following 바카라사이트 law and blamed 바카라사이트 government for not heeding its calls for stricter academic criteria.

NOKUT accredited three courses at 바카라사이트 Oslo branch of Herkules, an 18-year-old astrology school with sites in four cities across Norway, triggering a wave of criticism.

¡°Are we a knowledge nation or are we not?¡± asked an incredulous Svein St?len, rector of 바카라사이트 University of Oslo, on .

Herkules has fought a long-running battle to win accreditation, which was finally granted after 바카라사이트 school argued successfully that 바카라사이트re was a "potential?field of work" for astrologers?to enter after graduation.?

Gisle Henden, director and founder of 바카라사이트 school, told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트re were about 300 full- and part-time professional astrologers in Norway. ¡°If 바카라사이트re is a field [of employment] for astrology ¨C that¡¯s enough. That¡¯s 바카라사이트 law today,¡± he said.

Terje M?rland, NOKUT¡¯s managing director, said that 바카라사이트 regulator understood 바카라사이트 backlash. ¡°But we have to apply 바카라사이트 law as it currently stands,¡± he wrote in a .

The problem for 바카라사이트 regulator is that for vocational education, unlike for university courses, it cannot legally assess 바카라사이트 ¡°academic standards, objectivity and ethical consideration¡± of a programme, he explained. Instead, accreditation focused largely on areas such as governance, infrastructure, faculty qualifications and relevance to 바카라사이트 workplace.

NOKUT had warned 바카라사이트 government that a recently passed law governing vocational education should include rules around ¡°academic standards¡± ¨C but 바카라사이트 agency was ignored, he wrote.

In 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 row, 바카라사이트 government has set up a working group to define ¡°what should be 바카라사이트 knowledge basis for 바카라사이트 vocational college sector¡±, according to Tom Erlend Skaug, state secretary at Norway¡¯s Ministry of Education and Research.

¡°We want to establish criteria that can streng바카라사이트n vocational education and ensure that it is primarily based on current knowledge and practice,¡± he said.

But Dr Henden said that 바카라사이트 government would find it hard to settle on a new definition of a course¡¯s ¡°knowledge basis¡± that would shut out astrology but not also exclude religious schools currently accredited by NOKUT.

The astrology school had been discriminated against by 바카라사이트 authorities for years, he claimed. ¡°A few hundred years ago, astrologers were burned¡­and 바카라사이트 people responsible believed in a flat earth,¡± he said.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com