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Guests from the Nordic and
Baltic Countries August 19, 2015
- Education in Iceland - Uddanning i Island- Menntun á Íslandi-Guðni Olgeirsson, [email protected]ón Mýrdal, [email protected]
THE ICELANDIC SCHOOL SYSTEM
6
16
20
Age Higher Education
(112% increase in n. of stud. since 1997)
Sch
ool y
ear
Upper Secondary SchoolsNot obligatory (95% attend)
Most schools are mixed general and VETMost use unit-credit system
Art schools
Few specialisedVET schools
14
Compulsory SchoolsPrimary and lower secondary education
Single structure system - No streaming or selection by ability
10
Pre-schools (Not obligatory, 95% of children 2-5 attend)
Open accessAccess to a specific study programme / school, subject to specific requirements
1
www.menntamalaraðuneyti.is
THE ICELANDIC SCHOOL SYSTEM- statistics 2011 -
Pre-school education
Compulsory Upper secondary
Higher education
Number of schools 270 167 32+ 7
New law 2008 2008 2008 2006
Number of students
19.159
42.365 29.389 19.334 + 3000 abr
www.menntamalaraðuneyti.is
www.menntamalaraðuneyti.is
Compulsory schools• Mixed classes/inclusion (pupils with different abilities are in the same
schools/classes)• 180 school days a year• Nationally co-ordinated exams in classes 4., 7. and 10• The teachers profession is regulated by law
Upper secondary schools• Most are comprehensive (academic and vocational)• Most upper secondary schools in Iceland operate according to a unit-
credit system/modular system• 175 school days a year• The teachers profession is regulated by law
www.menntamalaraðuneyti.is
DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONSIBILITY
• The Icelandic parliament determines basic objectives and administrative framework of the education system.
• Education comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture.
• Local municipalities are responsible for the pre-schools and primary and lower secondary schools (function and funding).
• The state runs the upper secondary schools and schools at the higher education level.
• The education system has been moving towards decentralisation both with regard to responsibilities and decision-making.
www.menntamalaraðuneyti.is
FINANCING
• Local municipalities pay for the construction and the operation of pre-schools and primary and lower secondary schools.
• Parents pay fees for their children to attend pre-schools.• Compulsory education (primary and lower secondary), including textbooks
and materials, is free.• The operating costs of upper secondary education are funded by the state. • Education at the upper secondary level is free, but students in vocational
education pay materials fee.• Private institutions charge tuition fees. • Students at the higher education level have access to loans from the
Icelandic Student Loan Fund.
Legislation for Education
Preschool2008
Preschool2008
Upper Secondary School
Upper Secondary School
School counceling2009
School counceling2009
University 2006
University 2006
Teaching Material 2007
Teaching Material 2007
Teacher Education2008
Teacher Education2008
Adult Education2010
Adult Education2010
Compulsory School 2008
Compulsory School 2008
• Policy making at the national level
–Law and regulations–Recommendations–Curricula for all three school levels
• At the school level–School curricula–School practise
www.menntamalaraðuneyti.is
Objectives of the legislation
• Stronger focus on the needs and abilities of the individual learner (reduce drop-out)
• Education more attractive (esp. VET), more relevant and more effective
• Quality assurance strengthened with focus on learning outcomes
• Equal status of academic and vocational education
www.menntamalaraðuneyti.is
Objectives of the legislation - 2
• Guarantee of education for 16 - 18 years old • Upper secondary schools get more freedom and
responsibility in planning the education • The involvement of parents more formal • Status of private schools better defined and
improved• The school levels become better coordinated with
more flexibility for students
Objectives of the legislation - 3
• Lifelong learning perspective• Shift to learning outcomes in stead of
focusing on teachers and their actions in the classroom
• Recognition of non-formal and informal learning
• Decentralisation, empowerment of education providers
www.menntamalaraðuneyti.is
www.menntamalaraðuneyti.is
NEW NATIONAL CURRICULUM GUIDE
• Published in 2011- Subjects for compulsory education 2013• Various issues are common for pre-, compulsory- and upper
secondary schools• Objectives of the educational system are discussed in a
common chapter for all levels• The education policy rests on 6 fundamental pillars• Emphasis is on flexibility and continuity• Also on school development and general professionalism of
teachers at all levels.
Continuity and wholistic view in the public school system
• Main educational policy• Fundamental pillars in Education• Goals and objectives - pupils competence• School evaluation and development
Common introduction chapter in the
curriculum for all three school levels
Cornerstones in the new National Curricula
Fundamental pillars
Key competences Education
Fundamental pillars in education
Equality
Creativity
Sustainability
Democracy and human rights
Literacy
Health and welfare
The fundamental pillars• The fundamental pillars are based on the
view appearing in school legislation that both social objectives and the educational objectives of the individual are to be achieved.
• They are to ensure well-educated and healthy citizens, both for participating in and for changing and improving society and also for contemporary employment.
General education– promotes advanced capacity of the individual
for meeting the challenges of everyday life. – Is the goal of integral school activities and
studies in fields of study, subjects and course units.
• Definition of the fundamental pillars is an attempt to map the main fields of the
general education at which schools aim.
Information Technologies
Icelandic
Physical Education
Foreign languages
Arts and Crafts
Natural Sciences
Social Studies
Mathematics
Co-operative working methods
• System level– decentralized school system– democrative governance
• School level– Democratic governance
• parents´ representatives in the school council• pupils’ representatives in the school council
www.menntamalaraðuneyti.is
Useful Websites• www.island.is
• www.menntamalaraduneyti.is•http://eng.menntamalaraduneyti.is/publications/curriculum/
• www.eurydice.org• www.statice.is
• www.samband.is• www.namsmat.is
• www.namsgagnastofnun.is
