Justin Bieber concerts foil Norway schools' midterm exam schedule
Justin Bieber performs as part of his "Believe Tour" in Munich. (Tobias Hase / EPA / March 28, 2013)
April 3, 2013, 1:40 p.m.
Five schools in Norway have cried "Uncle" in the face of the force that is Justin Bieber.
"Believe" it or not, they're moving midterms up a week so as not to conflict with the pop star's scheduled shows in Oslo on April 16 and 17, the original testing dates.
"[L]ove this. 'Schools in Norway move midterms so students can attend Justin Bieber concert,'" Bieber tweeted Wednesday, forwarding a story link to his more than 37million followers.
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The schools involved are in ! the Aspelund region, which is a good eight hours' drive from Oslo, according to the Wall Street Journal -- meaning students with tickets would have to skip school to make the shows. About 500 students are affected by the shift.
We considered that this was a battle that we could not win this time, one secondary-school principal told Norway national broadcaster NRK (via the WSJ). Indeed, NRK found that about half of the girls at that school had a ticket to one of the shows.
Bieber fans at an Alesund high school petitioned their student council for the change, according to a local TV report (via the Nordic Page). The tests will now be held April 10 and 11.
A free, surprise show in Oslo last May resulted in a chaotic stampede, with dozens of fans reportedly needing medical attention and some being taken to the hospital.
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