Couples contemplating divorce could be required to “walk through” the impact their break-up would have on their children under a radical plan being considered by ministers in the UK.

The UK has one of the highest divorce rates in Europe and growing numbers of single parent families as more couples have children without getting married and are increasingly likely to separate as a result.

Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, is examining a state-sponsored relationship education programme in Norway, which forces couples to confront the reality of divorce before separating.

The policy has been credited with reversing Norway’s trend for rising divorce rates and halting the decline of marriage in the country over the past 15 years.

According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, Mr Duncan Smith told is keen to explore ways in which similar approaches could be encouraged in Britain.

It is thought by some officials that the cost of such a scheme, at a time when funds are low, may count against it. However, others argue that this approach may reduce the long-term cost of family breakdown, which has been estimated at up to £100 billion per annum when crime, unemployment, lost taxes and other factors are included.

Mr Duncan Smith said couples heading for separation in Norway were able to “work through what is going to happen with their children”, which has “a very big effect on their thinking”.

“Many of them think again about what they are going to embark on once they really understand the consequences of their actions subsequently,” he said.

“This is an excellent approach and exactly the sort of thing we should be looking into.

“Too many couples break up without understanding the consequences for their families. We should encourage people to face up to reality and make proper arrangements that ensure the best outcome for their children.”

In 1994, the Norwegian ministry of family affairs set up a scheme to provide grants for relationship education programmes, teaching couples communication skills and how to resolve conflicts. By 2008 the Norwegian government was dispensing funds worth £600,000 to relationship charities and private counselling groups.

The government also launched its own state-run programme for relationship education for parents in the first year after the birth of their first child, which is often the most difficult period in a marriage.

In recent years, more couples have been getting married and fewer have divorced as relationships education programmes gain a higher profile in Norway.

Relate, the British relationship support group, backed the Norwegian approach and welcomed Mr Duncan Smith’s remarks.

Jenny North, Head of Public Policy at Relate, said too many couples only turn to support when their relationship breaks down, when earlier education could stop problems arising.

“We are particularly pleased to see that the Norway example explicitly set out to reach couples who are cohabiting, before they even decide to get married,” she said. “This is vital given the statistics that show that couples who cohabit with children, are more at risk of relationship breakdown than married couples.

“Norway’s government have taken an innovative approach to relationship support and have even gone so far as to call couple relationships part of public health. Relate has been putting pressure on recent governments to share this view and it seems that our new government are certainly taking this issue seriously.”