Icelandic educational
system
GENERAL INFORMATION:
- STAGES: (explain the ages involved in each stage)
1-6 years old are in pre-primary school (Municipality)
6-16 attend primary school (Municipality)
16-20 secondary school/high school (The state)
20+ University (The state)
-
COMPULSORY SCHOOLING:
In Iceland the parent choice if they take children to pre-primary school but must of the
parent do so. You have to pay for that and it can be changeable. You pay for how many
hours your child stays in the pre-primary school each day. The time is not flexible. In
Akranes f.example the price for 8.5 hour per day, included in the amount is breakfast,
lunch and afternoon refreshments, is 210€.
All children have to go to primary school from the age 6-16, it is in our law. After 16 it is
the kid choice if they are going too continued or not. The primary school are almost all
public schools you, maybe there are 5-6 private. The primary school is always free but if
your children is going to have lunch in school then you have to pay for that (about 2-3 €
per one lunch).
-
ARE STATE SCHOOLS FREE?
You have to pay for pre-primary schools but the Primary school is free. In both secondary
school and University you have to pay. In secondary school you have to pay every year
about 190€. In the state University every year you have to pay 413€.
-
THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO PAY (FOR EXAMPLE: TRANSPORT, BOOKS,
LUNCH…) AND HOW MUCH:
In pre-primary schools you have to pay for breakfast, lunch and midday snack.
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Primary schools are free and also the books. After the financial crisis parents have to pay
for almost every travel that the children attend, like pay for the transport. Parents can
choice if their children have lunch at school or take something with them from home. Each
lunch cost about 2.10 €. You have to pay for lunch. After school children from 1-4 grade
can attend after school care and parents pay for that.
CONTENTS:
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- SUBJECTS IN PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION AND NUMBER OF HOURS PER WEEK:
In Iceland we have our National Curriculum guide and the fundamental pillars in preprimary education are:
• literacy,
• sustainability,
• health and welfare
• democracy and human rights,
• equality,
• creativity.
Every pre-primary school have to work with the pillars but they can choice how the
approach them. Each schools needs to make their own curriculum and include there what
are the main subject and educational priorities. Define learning approach for each age.
More information about our National Curriculum for pre-primary schools are available
here:
http://brunnur.stjr.is/mrn/utgafuskra/utgafa.nsf/RSSPage.xsp?documentId=CA2C880C51C8CE0D0025
7A230058FCA5&action=openDocument
 Who chooses these subjects?
It was the Ministry of Education
 Is it local or are they the same in the whole country?

Each schools needs to make their own curriculum and include there what are the main
subject and educational priorities. Define learning approach for each age.
- SPECIAL DAYS CELEBRATED THROUGHOUT THE ACADEMIC COURSE: (Explain
briefly)
16. September: The day of nature
16. November: The day of our Icelandic tongue
6. January: Last day of Christmas
6. February The day of pre-primary school
Christmas and New year
In the middle of January a season start here in Iceland and is called Þorri, we celebrate
old Icelandic traditional. In the season we for example celebrate The day of men and The
day of women.
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In February or March we celebrate these days:
Bolludagur- Buns day. We make Buns with cream and jam and put chocolate on the top. The
children make a bouquet/Scolding and they have to spank their parents and if they are
successfully they will have a bun.
Sprengidagur-We eat salted meat and beans until we blow up.
Öskudagur-We put on a costume and the children walk around the town and sing in the
shops and are awarded with candy. We also make a box, called the “the cat in the box”,
and the children have to hit the box until the cat comes out of the box. But of course
there are no cat inside it is always popcorn or candy.
Easter
First day of summer
Our national day 17.june
Last Friday in may we celebrate the day of the sea
-PROJECTS DEVELOPED IN YOUR SCHOOL:
METHODOLOGY:
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- INFORMATION ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION (One school or more? One headmaster?
School stages together? One secretary’s office?...)
In our preschool the method is to teach children to accepted everybody, to be kind and
friendly. We put emphasis on environmental things and Yoga is also part of our work. The
time that children have a free time to play is also very important to us. The prinsipal
remind us in to work on these method.
- EXPLAIN THE METHODOLOGY USED IN YOUR SCHOOL:
- DOES THE HEADMASTER DIRECT THE TEACHERS ABOUT THE METHOD?
Both the principal and the head teacher make sure that the teachers don’t forget the
method.
- WHAT KIND OF PLANNING DO YOU USE?
It is different in the school
- EXPLAIN BRIEFLY HOW YOU ASSESS THE CONTENTS:
Every half year we look back on what we have completed and not. And we work from that
point for the next half year.
- DO YOU HAVE BEGINNING AND FINAL TEST?
In pre-primary school there are no tests. In primary school there are different how the
schools have their tests. But all school have to have national test in 4th grade, 7th and 10th
grade.
- PROMOTION TO NEXT GRADE: (Explain briefly the requirements)
- Pre-Primary Education:
Here you don’t have to finish any grade to go up to the school level. But every preANA, Laura and Friðbjörg 2013
primary school have to work with the key elements in our Curriculum.
- HOW DO YOU ASSIST CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS? DO YOU COUNT ON
HUMAN AND MATERIAL RESOURCES?
Here we have many resorts and we all children with special needs can decide in which
school or pre-primary school it should attend. Here we have both human and material
resources. Like every children with special needs get extra support both in school and
pre-primary school.
We have behavioural materials, in pre-primary school we use photos and language where
you speak and make a sign of the word. We also have many behavioural approached.
- DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER THAT IS SPECIALIZED IN THIS
FIELD? WHO IS RESPONSIBLE, LIKE FOR PLANNING THE WORK METHOD,
MEETINGS WITH PARENTS AND OTHER SPECIALIST TEACHERS? WHO EVALUATES
THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS?
In pre-primary school there is always a teacher that takes care of this field, special
education manager. He is responsible for all development and the work along with the head
teacher in the faculty/department. But does not teach the teaching take care at the
children faculty. There you can also find a teacher that’s worked with the children.
- ITC RESOURCES: WHICH MATERIALS DO YOU HAVE AT SCHOOL? EXPLAIN HOW
YOU USE THEM:
We have variety materials and we have many ways to work with because every child have
to have a teaching approach from their needs.
- WHO GIVES YOU THESE RESOURCES AND MONEY?
The local Authority are responsible and have to make sure that every children with special
needs are getting the best help and support that is available.
- 6ARE
THERE
KIND OF LABORATORIES?
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and Friðbjörg
TIMETABLES:
- NUMBER OF DAYS PER ACADEMIC COURSE THAT CHILDREN ATTEND SCHOOL:
- NUMBER OF DAYS PER ACADEMIC COURSE THAT TEACHERS ATTEND SCHOOL:
- WHEN DOES THE ACADEMIC COURSE START? (Approximately)
The pre-Primary school are open in same towns all around the year expect for two/four
weeks. But every child needs to take four weeks holiday. They are usually closed from
1.july and open again in August. The pre-primary teachers earn summer holidays, f.ex.
Teachers that are 25-35 earn 24 days. 35-40 earn 27 days and 40+ earn 30 days.
The Primary school starts usually around 22.-24. August
- WHEN DOES THE ACADEMIC COURSE FINISH? (Approximately)
The Primary school finished around 5.-8. June.
- HOLIDAYS AND DAYS OFF: (Include a brief explanation of them if necessary)
In primary school there are always winter holiday, some schools have this holiday only in
the autumn and some have both in the autumn and spring.
- HOW MANY HOURS PER WEEK DO CHILDREN ATTEND SCHOOL?
- HOW MANY HOURS PER WEEK DO TEACHERS HAVE TO WORK?
-
With children: teachers stay 8 hours (if they are working 100%)
-
Preparing materials: they get 4- 5 hours every week to prepare.
- EXPLAIN THE SCHEDULE IN A SCHOOL DAY:
-
Pre-Primary Children:
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-
Teachers:
TEACHERS:
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- NUMBER OF YEARS YOU HAVE TO STUDY TO BECOME A TEACHER:
They government has just recently change the education before you had to finished 3
year and graduate with B-ed degree and get licence to practice as a teacher (pre-and
primary school). The change is that now you have to finish 5 year at school to earn the
licence to teach, graduate with master degree.
- DEGREE:
Master degree
- SPECIALIST TEACHERS AVAILABLE IN PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION: (i.e. Music,
Languages…)
In pre-primary school you can find teachers that have special training f.ex. sports or
music. The school decide how they use those skills.
In primary schools you will find specialist teachers like: athletic teacher, music teacher,
art and craft teacher, language and also home studies teacher.
In the school system there are also teacher for the children with special needs.
 How many hours per week do they work and who pays them?
 Have you got religion teachers? Who are they? How many hours per week?
In pre-Primary school you will not find a religion teachers but in Primary school children
learn about all religion. In many schools you can not have a religion teachers. We are
christian and celebrate christmas and other days that christian people do. But there are
no christian teaching in schools.
- EXPLAIN WHICH IS THE PROCEDURE TO WORK IN YOUR SCHOOL AS A TEACHER
(i.e. Entry exams, or it’s the Principal who hires teachers or the Town Hall…)
Here it is the Principal that hires the teachers and other staff. But it is the Town hall
that hired the Principal and assisted Principal.
- TEACHERS CAREER: HOW MANY STEPS DOES IT TAKE FROM THE BEGINNING TO
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THE END TO GET HIGHER SALARY?
Every teacher are member in the teacher union and there you have the collective
bargaining agreement. The union and the municipality make an agreement and there is
the step. Like when teacher have teach for five years he get higher salary and also it
depend on the age. For example you get higher salary when you reach the age 34 and 40.
How is the organized hierarchy of education (from the minister of education to teacher)?:
Are there assistants and what kind of qualification do they need?
- DO YOU HAVE AN EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY TEAM TO ASSIST YOU?
There are available
- DO THE TEACHERS GET ANY WAGE SUPPLEMENTS (FREE LUNCH, FREE WORKING
CLOTHES OR SOMETHING ELSE)?
Yes in the pre-primary schools every staff have free lunch, outdoor clothes and aprons 
But staff that are not teacher get some working clothes, trousers and sweater.
- HOW IMPORTANT ARE TEACHERS IN YOUR SOCIETY?
They are very important to the community and people have opinion on the school
environment. Everyone would like to have good and well educated teachers.
OTHER ASPECTS:
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- RATIO PER CLASS: (Include the maximum number of pupils in a class)
-
Pre-Primary Education:
There are about 23-25 pupils en a class.
- WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR SCHOOL BUILDING? (Explain briefly who is the
owner, who pays the maintenance…)
The town own the building and everything inside. But the Headmaster is responsible if
anything has to be fixed. Every year he will get money for all aspect, like salary, repairs,
cleaning and to buy toys and other materials that are needed. In the collective agreement
all the teacher should have their own outdoor clothing. Plus that in the collective
agreement for the other staff (not teacher) the preschool have to buy working clothes
for them every year.
- DUE TO THE FINANCIAL CRISIS, WHAT HAS CHANGED OR HAPPENED IN YOUR
EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM?:
Here came the crisis and all the school environment had to start to think differently.
First that was taken from the schools was “Over time”, meetings after work reduced,
f.ex. in some schools there used to be staff meetings every month after work (because in
preschool it is difficult to have a meeting during the work hour), but after the crisis
there are maybe four-five . We have prepared days, then the school is closed and the
teachers and other staff use this day to prepare, have lecture, visits other schools.
- HAS ANYTHING CHANGED IN YOUR SCHOOL AND WORK?
That is clear that some things that we have to change or stop will never come back again.
- OTHER IMPORTANT ASPECTS YOU WOULD LIKE TO MENTION: (Optional)
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