Via VG (Norwegian):
Ali Hassan, Ali Al-Amin and Ali Hasane, who learn at Ulsrud high-school in the Oslo suburb of Bøler, say their school segregates based on gender and ethnicity.
Ulsrud high-school has two gym classes: one for immigrant boys, and the other for girls and Norwegians.
"It's not good at all. You don't get a good learning environment by organizing a class with just immigrants and boys," Ali Hasane (18) told VG.
Several students tried moving from the immigrant class ot the other gym class, but did not succeed. They say that students only move in one direction: from the Norwegian and girls class to the immigrant class.
Though the school claims they don't discriminate based on ethnicity and sex, the students say that's exactly what's happening.
Ali Hassan and Ali Al-Amin say that the school discriminates the boys class and their achivements are overlooked.
Their class includes students from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nigeria, the Philippines, Morocco, Iraq, Somalia, Turkey and Sudan. There are no Norwegians in the class. The students ask whether this is legal according to Norwegian law.
They say they're willing to finish the year in this class, but warn against such immigrant classes in the future.
Principal David Dunlop doesn't hide the fact that the division of the two classes was controversial. However, he says the division is based on educational principles and not on ethnicity or gender. He says the teachers are 'color blind' when they consider the needs of the students.
When asked what educational principles were involved, Dunlop preferred not to say, citing privacy concerns. He said that educational concerns were always considered when it comes to the students' academic level, group size, subject composition and the teachers' skills.
Ulsrud school was previously criticized for not allowing students to pray in school
