The Norwegian legacy of resisting formal grading

Abstract Norway has a longstanding tradition of prohibiting formal grading in primary education. This paper traces a century of restrictive grading policies and their associated discourses. Using Bacchi's (2009) What's the Problem Represented to be framework, we present an analysis of the policy documents that have underpinned Norwegian assessment policies through major curriculum reforms from 1939 to 2020. Focusing on grades as discursive placeholders for broader educational issues, we identify three problems: (1) concerns for assessment quality, (2) determining the appropriate age for commencing grading and (3) balancing the need for high‐quality measurements with concerns for students' individual needs. We discuss the implications of the Norwegian system and the lessons learned for policy development and implementation in Norway and beyond.