Education in Iceland

The system of education in Iceland is divided in four levels: playschool, compulsory, upper secondary and higher, and is similar to that of other Nordic countries. Education is mandatory for children aged 6–16. Most institutions are funded by the state; there are very few private schools in the country. Iceland is a country with gymnasia.

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 the Compulsory Education Act of 1974, which mandated special education services for all students with disabilities.^[6]

According to the

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 in

The Ministry issues the

There are 192 institutions catering for compulsory education, 42 schools for upper secondary education and 9 higher education institutions.[8]

The oldest

The Icelandic education system comprises four levels: playschool, compulsory, upper secondary and higher level.[11]

Children attend playschool for a minimum of four and a maximum of nine hours per day.[7]

Compulsory education or grunnskóli (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 comprises primary and lower secondary 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 includes teaching, substitute teaching, administration and specialist services), and provide special 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 into

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 ten

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]

Nowadays, the National Curriculum Guidelines have provisions for those learning Icelandic whose first 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]

In Iceland 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 numerical grade could be given, or an oral and written assessment may be given.^{[citation needed]}

Their principal purpose is to help ease the transition into upper secondary 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 to primary education in other countries, from years one to seven, the same teacher 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 the

Upper secondary education or framhaldsskóli (lit. “continued school”), follows lower secondary education. These schools are also known as gymnasia in English. It is not compulsory, but everyone who has had their compulsory 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 in vocational courses. This stage of education is governed by the Upper Secondary School Act of 2007. Like all other schools in Iceland, upper secondary schools are mixed sex.^{[citation needed]}

Students do not have to pay

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 two terms: 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:

• grammar schools—offering three-year-long programmes of study, ending with matriculation exams;^{[citation needed]}
• industrial-vocational schools—theoretical and practical courses in various trades;^{[citation needed]}
• comprehensive schools—offering a mixture of courses, has qualities of both a grammar school and an industrial-vocational institution, in addition to specialised vocational programmes;^{[citation needed]}
• specialised vocational schools—programmes of study for specific trades and careers.^{[citation needed]}

The law requires that there are academic, vocational, artistic and general programmes of study, all of which lead to

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 at university, 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 a master 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 is

The academic year lasts from September to May and is divided into two terms: autumn and spring.[7]

Most

Annually there are a limited number of scholarships available for foreign students to study the Icelandic language and literature 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 as

Reflecting Icelandic cultural values of tolerance, equity, and celebrating differences rather than individualism, current government policy emphasizes inclusion, 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]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Education in Iceland.

• List of schools in Iceland
• List of universities in Iceland
• List of business schools in the Nordic countries
• Ministry of Education, Science and Culture

• Ministry of Education, Science and Culture – The department responsible for education
• Education in Iceland – A diagram of the Icelandic school system
• The Educational System In Iceland – A pamphlet from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture detailing the education system in Iceland
• (in Icelandic) Menntagátt – The Educational Gateway
• Namsgagnastofnun – The National Centre for Educational Materials
• Information on education in Iceland, OECD - Contains indicators and information about Iceland and how it compares to other OECD and non-OECD countries
• Diagram of Icelandic education system, OECD - Using 1997 ISCED classification of programmes and typical ages. Also in Icelandic