| Ministry of Education, Science and Culture | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Education, Science and Culture | Lilja Alfreðsdóttir |
| National education budget (2023) | |
| Budget | ISK 46.3 billion[1][2] |
| General details | |
| Primary languages | Icelandic |
| System type | National |
| Current system | 2007 |
| Literacy (2023) | |
| Total | 60%[3] |
| Male | 53% |
| Female | 68% |
| Enrollment | |
| Total | Not available |
| Primary | 100% (graduating) |
| Secondary | 97%[4] |
| Post secondary | Not available |
| Attainment | |
| Secondary diploma | 57%[5] |
| Post-secondary diploma | Not available |
| Secondary and tertiary education divided into academic and vocational systems. | |
The system ofeducation inIceland is divided in four levels: playschool, compulsory, upper secondary and higher, and is similar to that of otherNordic countries. Education is mandatory for children aged 6–16. Most institutions are funded by the state; there are very fewprivate schools in the country. Iceland is a country withgymnasia.
The first national education law was the 1907 education law, and the first national curriculum was published in 1926. Although the curriculum was periodically revised, the overall education system was not significantly modernized until theCompulsory Education Act of 1974, which mandatedspecial education services for all students with disabilities.[6]
According to theMinistry of Education, Science and Culture:
A fundamental principle of the Icelandic educational system is that everyone should have equal opportunities to acquire an education, irrespective of sex, economic status, residential location, religion, possible handicap, and cultural or social background.[7][8]
The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture has the jurisdiction of educational responsibility. Traditionally, education inIceland has been run in thepublic sector; there is a small, although growing, number ofprivate education institutions in the country.[9] Over the years, the educational system has beendecentralised, and responsibility forprimary andlower secondary schools lies with the local authorities. The state runsupper secondary schools andhigher education institutions.
The Ministry issues theNational Curriculum Guidelines. TheNational Centre for Educational Materials publishes educational materials for education institutions, and issues them free of charge. The Educational Testing Institute is the country's soleexamination board; responsible for issuing and grading national assessments.[citation needed]
There are 192 institutions catering for compulsory education, 42 schools for upper secondary education and 9 higher education institutions.[8]
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The oldestgymnasiums in the country areMenntaskólinn í Reykjavík andMenntaskólinn á Akureyri.Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík traces its origin to 1056, when a school was established inSkálholt. The school was moved toReykjavík in 1786, but poor housing conditions forced it to move again in 1805 toBessastaðir near Reykjavík. In 1846 the school was moved to its current location, and a new building was erected for it in Reykjavík.[10]
TheUniversity of Iceland was the first higher education institution in the country, and was established on 17 June 1911, uniting three former Icelandic schools:Prestaskólinn,Læknaskólinn and Lagaskólinn, which taughttheology,medicine andlaw, respectively. The university originally had onlyfaculties for these three fields, in addition to a faculty ofhumanities. The firstrector of the university wasBjörn M. Ólsen, a professor in the faculty of humanities.[citation needed]
The Icelandic education system comprises four levels: playschool, compulsory, upper secondary and higher level.[11]
Playschool orleikskóli, is non-compulsory education for those under the age of six, and is the first step in the education system. The currentlegislation concerning playschools was passed in 2007. TheMinistry of Education, Science and Culture is responsible for the policies and methods that playschools must use, and they issue the National Curriculum Guidelines. They are also responsible for ensuring that the curriculum is suitable so as to make the transition intocompulsory education as easy as possible. However, the Ministry does not implement the regulations and guidelines; instead this is the responsibility of thelocal authority, who fund and administer playschools. In addition, the local authority employs representatives who supervise the playschools’ operation.[citation needed]
Parents must pay for their children to attend playschools. Around 30% of the costs of running the institutions are covered by these fees.Private playschools’ fees can be around 10–20% higher than those of public institutions. Almost all private schools receive some municipal funding.[citation needed]
The buildings are often purpose-built on a site where around 30-40m2 of playing space is available for each child in theplayground. Around 6 m2 per child is allocated indoors. The institutions are intended to be mixed sex. Playschools are intended for children under the age of six; the youngest children to attend are at least two years old. Children ofsingle parents andstudents are given priority, and in some cases children with adisability are also given priority. In the majority of cases, the children are divided intoage groups, but in some smaller communities these may be grouped together.[citation needed]
Children attend playschool for a minimum of four and a maximum of nine hours per day.[7]
Compulsory education orgrunnskóli (lit. “basic school”), is the period of education which is compulsory for all. The legislation concerning compulsory education was passed in 2008, and in 1996 municipalities took over the running of compulsory education. It comprisesprimary and lowersecondary education, which often takes place at the same institution. The law states that education is mandatory for children and adolescents between the ages of 6 and 16. The school year lasts nine months, and begins between August 21 and September 1, ending between May 31 and June 10. The minimum number of school days is 170, but after a new teachers’ wage contract, this will increase to 180. Lessons take place five days a week.[citation needed]
Responsibility lies with parents for making sure that their children attend and register at school. The law states that it is the responsibility of the municipality to give instruction and fund institutions (this includesteaching,substitute teaching,administration and specialist services), and providespecial education if required. There are no entry requirements for pupils, and the acceptance rate is 100% at six years of age.[12]
Pupils have the right to attend a school in the area in which they live. The state requires that the school integrates disabled pupils intomainstream education.[citation needed]
The state is responsible for assessing institutions to make sure that they are operating within the law and the National Curriculum Guidelines. They also produce educational materials, and implement educational law and regulations.[citation needed]
Compulsory education is divided into tenyears. Schools which have all ten years, year one to seven, and years eight to ten are common. Those schools which teach from years eight to ten often have a widercatchment area. The size of institutions is widely varied. In theReykjavík urban area, schools can be up to 1200 pupils in size. In rural areas, schools can have fewer than 10 pupils, and around 50% of schools have fewer than 100 pupils. All compulsory education institutions are mixed sex. Many counselling services are available, including help with studies and specific subjects;psychological counselling is also available.[citation needed]
Each school must follow the National Curriculum Guidelines, but exceptions are made for schools with special characteristics. The school is required to create a school working plan and an annual calendar, organise teaching and pupil assessment and to provide extracurricular activities. The number of lessons for each year is as follows:[citation needed]
| Years | Age range | Lessons per week |
|---|---|---|
| 1–4 | 6–10 years | 30 |
| 5–7 | 10–13 years | 35 |
| 8–10 | 13–16 years | 37 |
Nowadays, the National Curriculum Guidelines have provisions for those learning Icelandic whosefirst language is not Icelandic and deaf and hearing-impaired pupils. Pupils are expected to keep up with the pace of teaching; however those students who are struggling receive remedial teaching without being moved from most of their classes. An emphasis is made on providing a variety of teaching methods.[7]
InIceland assessment and evaluation of pupils is conducted internally, and is not standardised between different institutions. Pupils are given regular reports to grade their progress; however the way in which this is done varies between schools. For example, a numericalgrade could be given, or an oral and written assessment may be given.[citation needed]
Their principal purpose is to help ease the transition into uppersecondary education and help the pupil to choose a course of study. Pupils are awarded a certificate with their marks at the end of the compulsory schooling period.[citation needed]
In addition to pupil assessment, the law requires that schools implement some form of self-evaluation on the quality of their services and to make sure that institutions are operating inside the law and within guidelines. Schools are assessed externally every five years by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture.[7]
Similar toprimary education in other countries, from years one to seven, the sameteacher teaches the pupils all of their subjects. From year eight upwards, pupils receive teaching from a number of different teachers (this marks the boundary between primary education and lower secondary education). Groups may be mixed around year by year.[citation needed]
Primary school teachers are general teachers who have received their training at either theUniversity of Iceland or theUniversity of Akureyri. The typical course lasts three years. Lower secondary teachers may also be trained at theUniversity of Iceland. ABA orBS degree is required in this situation. The courses are designed to be both academic and practical. Municipalities are responsible for the employment of teachers. Optional in-serviceteacher training courses are offered on an annual basis.[7]
Upper secondary education orframhaldsskóli (lit. “continued school”), follows lowersecondary education. These schools are also known asgymnasia in English. It is not compulsory, but everyone who has had theircompulsory education has the right to upper secondary education.[8] The typical course length is three years, for students aged between 16 and 19. The length of the course can vary, especially invocational courses. This stage of education is governed by the Upper Secondary School Act of 2007. Like all other schools inIceland, upper secondary schools are mixed sex.[citation needed]
Students do not have to paytuition fees, but they must pay an enrollment fee and are expected to buy their owntextbooks. Students who enroll in vocational courses pay a portion of the costs of the materials that they use.[citation needed]
All students have the right to enter upper secondary education when they turn sixteen. Around 97% of students leaving lower secondary education enter into upper secondary education; however there is a notable drop-out rate. There are specific entry requirements for different courses, but as all students have the right to this sort of education, a general program of study is available for those students who may fail to meet requirements. Some schools enjoy more prestige and popularity than others, especially in Reykjavík, and those may need to turn away hundreds of students every year.[13]
The school year lasts for nine months, and is divided into twoterms: autumn and spring. Students attend around 32–40 lessons a week, each lasting 40–80 minutes. This can vary drastically between institutions.[citation needed]
There are around forty gymnasia in the country; sizes vary as much as the primary schools. The largest gymnasia have over 3,000 students—the smallest, less than fifty.[citation needed] The gymnasia can be divided thus:
The law requires that there are academic, vocational, artistic and general programmes of study, all of which lead tohigher education. Any gymnasium can therefore offer the matriculation examination, called theStúdentspróf, providing it complies with Ministry of Education regulations.[citation needed]
The gymnasia have forms which operate on a unit-credit system, that is to say a term is divided into course units, each of which is worth a certain number of credits. Students are consequently able to regulate the speed of their education based on their personal circumstances. This system is used in most upper secondary institutions in Iceland.[citation needed]
Many institutions also offer evening classes targeted at adults, some of which are on par with their daytime courses. Distance learning is also offered at most schools.[citation needed]
Counselling services are also offered, like those of the compulsory education institutions.[7]
Examinations are taken at the end of every term as opposed to at the end of the year. Final years are often based on continuous assessments and assignments; however some courses do have final exams. There were no nationally co-ordinated exams in upper secondary education until school year 2003–4, when certain subjects were introduced. Institutions are also required to self-assess; like compulsory education institutions they are assessed externally every five years.[7]
Upper secondary teachers are required to have completed four years atuniversity, of which at least two years must have been devoted to a major subject, and at least one to teaching methodology and skills. Vocational teachers must be qualified in their particular discipline, or must be amaster craftsman in their trade, and have at least two years of experience.[citation needed]
In-service training courses are also offered. Teachers are paid by the state but hired by the individual school.[7]
The final level ishigher education, orháskóli (lit. “high school”). There areeight such institutions in the country, most of which are run by the state. The first institution, theUniversity of Iceland, opened in 1911, and is still the principal higher education institution in the country.[14] In recent years, however, more universities have opened across the country, widening the range of choices available. Legislation concerning higher education institutions was passed in 1997, which includes a definition of the termháskóli (to include universities which do not carry out research). There is also separate legislation in place for each public institution, defining their role inresearch and general organisation.[15] Private and public universities both receive funding from the state.[14]
The administration of each university is divided into theSenate, therector,faculty meetings, faculty councils anddeans (however, some universities are not divided into faculties). The Senate ultimately makes decisions on the running and organisation of the institution and formulates policy. Thestate will formulate a contract with the university, defining the institution's objectives and the amount of funding that the state will give to the institution.[citation needed]
Despite the growing number of higher education institutions in the country, many students decide to pursue their university education abroad (around 16%, mostly inpostgraduate studies).[citation needed]
The academic year lasts from September to May and is divided into two terms: autumn and spring.[7]
Mostundergraduates will have to pass some form ofmatriculation exam to get into university;[16] however those with sufficientwork experience may be admitted in some cases. Vocational and technical courses have looser requirements, only stating that the applicant have some sort of experience in their chosen field of study. Institutions are free to set their own admission criteria. Registration for potential students takes place from May to June each year; however the application deadline for foreign students is earlier: March 15.[7]
In state-run institutions, students only need pay registration fees; there are notuition fees. Private institutions, however, charge fees. All students are eligible to some financial support from theIcelandic Student Loan Fund; the exact amount depends on their financial and personal situation. The student must begin to repay this money two years after completing their study programme. In addition to Icelandic students, students from theEuropean Union orEEA-EFTA member states are also eligible to apply for loans, if they have been working in their trade in the country for at least one year.[citation needed]
Annually there are a limited number ofscholarships available for foreign students to study theIcelandic language andliterature at the University of Iceland, offered by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture.[citation needed]
Grants are available for post-graduates in research universities, which are awarded on the basis of joint submission from student and professor, and approval from the respective faculty.[7]
Before the Compulsory Education Act of 1974, only selected groups of students with disabilities, such asdeaf andblind students, received any formal special education, although students with mild disabilities had been accommodated at rural schools since 1907.[6] With the changes in the law, aspecial school was opened in Reykjavik for students withintellectual disabilities, and similar programs followed. Students with physical disabilities weremainstreamed into regular classrooms. TheIceland University of Education developed programs to train teachers and other specialists to provide appropriate services.[6]
Reflecting Icelandic cultural values of tolerance, equity, and celebrating differences rather thanindividualism, current government policy emphasizesinclusion, or "one school for all", although segregated classrooms and schools are still permitted and supported.[6]
The Education Law on Upper Secondary Education of 1992 entitles students to attend schools and university, and to receive appropriate supports for doing so, but does not exempt them from the normal entrance requirements, such as demonstrating a given level of reading or mathematics achievement.[6] Consequently, after reaching the end of compulsory school age, it is difficult for students with significant cognitive impairments to find further education.[6]
