NATIONAL POLICY

The school system in Iceland consists of a public framework where primary and lower secondary education is compulsory and starts from the age of 6 years old and lasts until the age of 16.

Figure 2: Simplified model of the Icelandic School system

Figure 3: Division of subjects in the compulsory education period.

After the age of 16 upper secondary education is volunteer and there are several options of schools dependent of what type of education is selected. All students who have completed secondary school are entitled to admissions to upper secondary schools until the age of 23. Each school is responsible for the admissions requirements of the student, but the requirements shall be pre-decided and approved by the ministry of education. The ministry might also add their own guidelines of admission to individual studies. The directorate of education (Menntamálastofnun) is responsible for the admissions process and around 99% of the students get their first or second institution of choice.

The main types of schools that offers upper secondary education are:

• Grammar schools
• Comprehensive schools
• Industrial Vocational schools

These schools are mainly public schools, but there are a few private options which often offers vocational education.

In Iceland there are 37 upper secondary schools, whereas around half are located outside the capital area.

The second biggest city Akureyri lies in the north with a population close to 20 000. The upper secondary schools which are spread across the outskirts of Iceland has often a small number of students and in many cases a lack of teaching body. As a measure to this, 13 upper secondary schools in Iceland joined forces and created a network called Fjarmenntaskolinn.

Figure 5: The schools in the network Fjarmenntaskolinn.

This network has specialized themselves in offering flexible training solutions, combining a blended online delivery mode that mix eLearning with videoconferencing, making it easier for students to be able to attend their preferred study without having to move to far from home. By doing this, the schools have been able to create hubs on smaller places like for example Patreksfjordur (see fig.5). Patreksfjordur is a small town with a population of 660 inhabitants, and in 2018, there was 24 students attending the branch which belongs to Fjölbrautaskoli Snæfellinga located in Grundafjordur a minimum of 4hrs travel away (see fig.5).

Secondary school credit is defined by applying learning outcome descriptions. One credit is the equivalent of three, six to eight hours working days. Included in this time frame is the learner’s class attendance, home-work, test revision and time spent on tests.

The full school year is 180 days in total, and gives around 60 credits.

ADULT EDUCATION

In 2010 the Icelandic parliament passed the Adult education act which main aim was to meet the needs of adults with short formal education and also to meet the labour market which had a need for more skilled workers.(Frae,2018)

Adult education(fullorðinsfræðsla) is meant to target both those who are working, but would like to increase their competence. And those who are unemployed with low education who needs courses/education to enter the workmarket.
The Adult education is provided by public authorities, private institutions, companies and organisations. Adult education and training is offered by institutions at the upper secondary and higher education levels, including lifelong learning centres (government, 2018). This education
The adult education in Iceland include three aspects:

• Study and vocational counselling
• Validation of prior learning (Raunfærnimat)
• Accreditation of study programmes

These steps are with the goal of guiding adults with little prior education into paths consisting of either secondary school options, bridge programmes into higher education or into the labour market (Gov,2018).

In addition to the Adult education Act there was established an Education fund which has the objective to promote suitable study options for adults with limited formal education. Furthermore, it is to take part in creating the conditions to enable individuals to avail themselves of such study options.(Gov,2018).

This basically means that the fund will help finance studies for the adult students.

The biggest provider of adult education in Iceland is Frædslumistöd Atvinnulifsins (The Education and Training Service Centre – ETSC). It was established in 2002 and is owned by the Icelandic Confederation of Labour (ASÍ), the Confederation of Icelandic Employers (SA), the Federation of State and Municipal Employees (BSRB), the Ministry of Finance and the Association of Local Authorities in Iceland.

ETSC is the mother organization of 10 life-long learning centers situated across Iceland.

ETSC also hosts the Icelandic coordinator in the Nordic Network for Adult Learning (NVL) and is responsible for the administration of the Education fund.

GOVERNANCE

The governance of the Icelandic school system is divided between local and national authorities. The Icelandic government are responsible for the framework and the objectives of the school system as a whole. They are also the ones responsible for the governance and approval of National recognized qualifications(NRQ).

The municipalities are responsible for the schools from lower primary(Leikskoli) to primary and lower secondary school (Grunnskoli). Upper secondary(Framhaldsskoli/Menntaskoli) and higher education is being managed from Menntamálastofnun(Directorate of Education). All of the schools are allowed to make local adaptions to their education on all levels, as long as it is compliant with the major lines of the education framework . This means, if the school wants to create new studies or a local adaption to an existing study, they can do so. But the Directorate ha to be made aware and to approve of it.

Figure 8: The educational model of Iceland including ISCED levels and dividation of responsibilities

Iceland is one of the countries that spends most on their education compared to the OECD average. Though it has to be mentioned that even if the money spent per student on the compulsory education is above average OECD level, the amount spent on students on secondary and tertiary level is below. (Education,2016)

Key policy issues

In 2014 Iceland published their White paper on education reform which had the main focus on identifying the status of Iceland’s education system. This was due to the established decrease in student performance, low enrolment in VET and low rates in on time – completion of studies. The legislation established two strategic goals for 2018. One was boosting reading literacy from 79% to 90% and the second was to increase the graduation rate from 44% to 60%. (Education, 2016)

To achieve the second goal, the White paper proposed to rethink the duration of programmes, shortening studies that would lead to final examinations, reducing dropouts and restructuring VET. The document also encourages amongst other that one should strengthen teacher’s professional development due to an ageing teaching force and difficulties in recruiting additional teaching force.

In Iceland, public transportation is lacking outside of the capital, and young students tend to start working instead of having to move away from home in the age of 16 (drivers’ licence is given at the age of 17). In 2014, 21,9% of Icelandic 15-19 year olds were not in education, and 61,7% were employed. Addressing dropout has been a key focus of the government. High drop-out rates reduce the skills levels, undermines productivity and labour market performance (Education,2016).

In 2018 The ministry of education posted a report containing the results of a survey conducted in 2017 in 32 upper-secondary schools asking the students who dropped out the reasons why they decided to quit (MMS, 2018).

Figure 9: Results from survey given to upper-secondary school dropouts

The results were many but 28% of the former students answered they were expelled due to lack of attendance at school. 24% claimed personal reasons and when asked to specify, the majority answered due to psychological illness.
17% answered their reason for drop-out was external reasons with the majority specifying that they wanted to work instead.
16% answered that the study was uninteresting/pointless for them and the remaining 15% didn’t specify a reason (MMS,2018)

The result from the White paper initiative is pending, but there is still work that needs to be done in order to have young students choose to stay in school and to have them choose more vocational studies.

Icelandic VET

There are in Iceland a broad range of vocational school options and with different delivery modes. Every school can as previously mentioned shape a study or create a new study (local adaption), as long as the framework of the state is upheld. This means for example for a upper secondary tourism study, a school can make a local adaption towards the parts of the country the school is in or perhaps towards a certain tourism activity (cruise lines, guiding services, outdoors activities, whale tourism, etc.)

In addition, for VET, every specific trade must be approved by the ministry of education and a trade committee in order for a study to become an NRQ. VET studies vary in length from 1 to 4 years, but the average is 3 to 4 years. Vocational education in Iceland has many delivery options: full time schools, life-long learning centre, evening schools and workplace training. The vocational studies are also possible to study through distance learning and for workplace training, companies often hire teachers to do courses at the job site in order to save travel costs for the workers.

The enrolment rates for VET are low and Iceland has one of the highest employment rates for young adults. Therefore re-entry of students into secondary education has been a long-term objective.
The route from vocational education into higher education is very dependent upon the vocation. Some programmes do not have an option for further higher education and lead into a so called “dead -end”. This has contributed to the low enrolment issues, due to the increased popularity and expectation that a student today in Iceland should aim towards a higher degree.

Aquaculture VET Iceland

Today there are no schools that has government approved NRQ studies in Aquaculture on VET level. Still there are three schools that are allowed to teach courses in Aquaculture pending upon the approval of the curriculum.

These three schools are:

• Fjölbrautaskoli Snæfellinga (fsn.is)
• Verksmenntaskoli Austurlands (va.is)
• Fisktækniskoli Islands (fiskt.is)

Fjölbrautaskoli Snæfellinga (FSN) and Verksmenntaskoli Austurlands (VA) are using the same curriculum which was submitted to the ministry of education (Menntamálastofnun) in April 2018. By May 2018 the schools were allowed to open the study for admissions and in august the study started. The curriculum is still pending approval from the ministry and the next step is for the trade committee to approve of Aquaculture technician as a certified trade in Iceland. This study will be a part of the public-school system. To give an accurate timeline upon when this will be approved is difficult, but fish farming has become a popular subject in the media over the past years and therefore the schools are positive than within two years the study will be government approved.

Fisktækniskolinn (The Icelandic college of Fisheries) opened a few years ago a one-year study in Aquaculture which belongs on the same level as upper secondary schools. The college is a private school and the study is not approved by the ministry of education. However, it is recognized by the industry since there are few other options available.

Higher VET

Holar university college has over year taught a diploma study in Aquaculture. The study is taught both on site and through distance learning. The study is composed of a number of short courses (2-4 weeks) and is in close connection with the industry. The study is over three semesters where the student is required to take a full-time practicum at an aquaculture company the last semester. The study is the equivalent of 90 ECTS.

The biology in the study has previously been focused mostly upon the biology and production of land-based facilities, but with the increase of sea-based production, the industry has expressed their need for an update in the curriculum. Including the sea-based operations, technology and biology in a higher degree.  For more info upon the study visit www.holar.is.

Sources:

government, 2018: https://www.government.is/topics/education/

Education,2016: Education Policy Outlook Iceland, OECD, April 2016

MMS,2018: adgerdir gegn brotthvarfi stoduskyrsla februar 2018, menntamálastofnun

Frae, 2018: Frædslumistöd Atvinnulifsins, https://frae.is/um-fa/about-us/

Gov,2018: https://www.government.is/topics/education/adult-education/