1. Guests from the Nordic and Baltic Countries August 19, 2015
Education in Iceland
Uddanning i Island
Menntun á Íslandi-
Guðni Olgeirsson,
Sigurjón Mýrdal,

2. THE ICELANDIC SCHOOL SYSTEM
Higher Education
(112% increase in n. of stud. since 1997)
School year
Age 20
Upper Secondary Schools
Not obligatory (95% attend)
Most schools are mixed general and VET
Most use unit-credit system
Art schools
Few specialised
VET schools 14 16
Compulsory Schools
Primary 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 access
Access to a specific study programme / school, subject to specific requirements 1 6

3. THE ICELANDIC SCHOOL SYSTEM - statistics 2011 -

4. Upper secondary schools
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

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. Legislation for Education
Teacher Education
2008
University 2006
Teaching Material 2007
Preschool
2008
Compulsory School
2008
Upper Secondary School
School counceling2009
Adult Education
2010

8. Policy making at the national level At the school level
Law and regulations
Recommendations
Curricula for all three school levels
At the school level
School curricula
School practise

9. 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

10. Objectives of the legislation - 2
Guarantee of education for 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

11. 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

12. NEW NATIONAL CURRICULUM GUIDE
Published in 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.

13. 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

14. Cornerstones in the new National Curricula
Fundamental pillars
Key competences
Education

15. Fundamental pillars in education
Equality
Creativity
Sustainability
Democracy
and human rights
Literacy
Health and welfare
Er fjallað um í fremstu köflum aðalnámskrá leik-, grunn- og framhaldsskóla

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. Information Technologies
Icelandic
Physical Education
Foreign languages
Arts and Crafts
Natural Sciences
Social Studies
Mathematics

19. 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

20. Useful Websites www.island.is www.menntamalaraduneyti.is