Norway grapples with train strike, school overhaul, senior grant and fatal boat accident

State rail operator Vy reported that 124 train departures were cancelled on Monday due to an ongoing drivers' strike that started on September 18 after wage mediation failed, with the L1 Spikkestad-Lillestrøm and RE10 Drammen-Lillehammer routes most affected; 111 additional routes are listed as cancelled for Tuesday and no end date has been set. In response to a steep drop in Norwegian 15-year-olds' PISA scores, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced a reform package that includes legislated small-group teaching for first and second grades, increased use of physical books, reduced screen time, and revamped teacher-training programmes, while the Minister of Research and Higher Education Eileen Fugelsnes said the plan also considers more play time and possible hour adjustments for those grades.

The government also opened applications for a home-adaptation grant that can provide up to 75,000 kroner to residents aged 62 and over to make their homes age-friendly, with a total budget of 89 million kroner for 2026 and priority for lower-income applicants. Separately, a six-metre motorboat sank off the coast of Averøy in Møre og Romsdal, where rescue teams recovered one body and searches for three other tourists were halted due to bad weather.