– This line has given me a lot of knowledge about children, but also about myself as a person, smiles Vegard Cristian Camilo Edvardsen.
It's early Tuesday morning at Nidarvoll Kindergarten in Trondheim, and he has just welcomed 19 children to a new day filled with play, learning, and care.
– Do you think many kindergartens are uncertain when it comes to these things?
– Yes, I think so. Many may feel that they should have even more knowledge. That's why this line is so important. Fear of making mistakes can easily lead to doing nothing, but knowledge of how to work with different cultures and diversity provides confidence and guts to dare to try, he believes.
Mastery and Grit
The confidence he talks about hasn't always been there for the young northerner. Vegard recalls how nervous he could be when he first started as a substitute.
– I thought it was scary to meet parents and didn't know what to say, but now it's just fun. I feel a sense of mastery and know that I've got a bit more grit. That's what's so great about this study. You don't have to be born to work in kindergarten, but DMMH can make you a good kindergarten teacher and a good leader, he emphasizes.
Despite the fact that diversity competence is increasingly in demand, he believes this line has gone under the radar for many. He hadn't heard of it himself before he sat down to apply for kindergarten teacher education.
– For me, it was about finding the multicultural interesting and how to work with it. In addition, I have a few more perspectives on this myself as an adoptee. Even though I'm Norwegian, I often experience being spoken to in English, for example, and such experiences can be useful to have.
High Demand
He sees himself as a kind of bridge builder. Much of the job consists of achieving good cooperation between kindergartens and families.
– We have learned a lot about how you work with different cultures, people, and perspectives, and this greatly benefits interaction with the children and parents. It's about being seen and understood in the same way as ethnically Norwegian, and that's not a given. The desire to be part of a community is in human nature, and you can imagine if you went to another country where you neither understand the language, the social norms, nor what's happening. You would appreciate if there was someone who helped you with this, smiles Vegard, before he makes a suggestion:
– I think more people should consider applying for this line. There is high demand for kindergarten teachers, and if you're skilled, engaged, and have the ability to follow through, it's easy to get a job. There will always be diversity in our society, and this education is a big plus in the book.
Change in Study Offerings
The theme of multicultural understanding is an important theme in all our bachelor's programs. In the academic year 2026/2027, the Kindergarten Teacher Education with emphasis on multicultural understanding is not offered as a separate line. Instead, the specialization Children in Diverse Communities is offered for students in the full-time Kindergarten Teacher Education, in the 3rd year of study.
