The Icelandic School SystemNotes for professor Kenn Tye’s class

Dr. Philos Dóra S. BjarnasonThe University of Iceland

dsb@hi.is

Where are we?

Dóra S. Bjarnason April 2009 at Chapman Uni.

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The Nordic Educational Systems• There are many similarities in the Nordic Education Systems in the 20th

century due to strong political, social and cultural ties between the countries, but no two systems are the same and they have each developed somewhat differently or similarly but at different times.

• What is in common is that public schooling from 6-18 or 20 is paid or largely paid by the taxpayers. University education is largely free and the systems from preschool, through compulsive schooling are very similar. There is greater diversion in the structures of upper-secondary education and in higher and university education.

• Special needs education has developed somewhat differently in each of the countries, with Iceland and Norway being the most inclusive and Finland and Denmark the most exclusive.

Dóra S. Bjarnason April 2009 at Chapman Uni.

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The National Expenditure on Education by the Nordic Countries 1960-1996 as a % of GDP

Dóra S. Bjarnason April 2009 at Chapman Uni.

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Dóra S. Bjarnason April 2009 at Chapman Uni.

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The Icelandic Education System 2009

• free 6-16

• subscription fee and own books at upper-secondary and university levels (5 Univ.)

•student loans at university level•equal for all

•inclusive

Recent changes:• pre- school -first ScholLevel (1-6)•1996 diversifcation of compulsory schools.

•upper-secondary school 3 or 4 years

• Private universities as well as public universities

•Teacher Education ac. ToBolonja now 5 years university education

Dóra S. Bjarnason April 2009 at Chapman Uni.

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Iceland: Small population 319.368, large island, high standard of living,Nordic type welfare society, economic vulnerability, economic crash in 2008

Dóra S. Bjarnason April 2009 at Chapman Uni.

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Dóra S. Bjarnason April 2009 at Chapman Uni.

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Background• 1790 and 1880 law on teaching children to read, then to

write. • Home education system.• Schools begin to appear in latter half of the 19.th century

(fixed schools and preambulatory teachers – Deaf and blind ed.)

• Teacher education 1892 (1 year)• 1907 First law on compulsory ed. schools• 1936 Law on the compulsory ed. school system• Education act 1974 and Statutory Regulation on special

education 1977

Dóra S. Bjarnason April 2009 at Chapman Uni.

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Trends in policy and practice over time• 1907 – 1945: Creating a Compulsory School System.

• 1945-1974: The Development of the Compulsory School system – Special education in the making.

• 1975-1995: Modernisation of the system similar to Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Equal opportunities for all. Special schools and classes (1980’s and early 1990’s) but also a move from integration to inclusion.

• 1995-2008: Decentralisation, Individualisation, Competition and Outcome Evaluations – But 2001 Reykjavík School Board Manifesto, Inclusion in focus, closing of all but 2 special schools, and a new special school for ADHD. Some parents of kids with disability labels are arguing for more segregated settings.

• October 2008 The Crash????????

Dóra S. Bjarnason April 2009 at Chapman Uni.

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Thank you for your time