EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

Govern

The ministry of Research, Education and Culture has the administrative and financial responsibility for all the schools in The Faroe Islands. It oversees the process of setting the aims and objects for the schools. The ministry is responsible for the students to have correct learning material. They are also making sure that the teaching body is qualified, and that rules, regulations and exams are upheld. (FI,2018).

Organization

Figure 2: Model of the educational system in The Faroe Islands

In the Faroe Islands the education system is divided into three levels:

• Primary
• Secondary
• Higher education

The primary education (Folkaskulin) is compulsory and lasts from the age of 7 years until 16 years old. The country has a policy that every child should be able to start primary education without having to move away from home, though they might have to move to a bigger school when they join 8th grade. Today there is 54 schools that provide either primary or lower secondary education, and many offers both. This number includes three “free schools”, which charge a small tuition fee, but are primarily state funded. (FI, 2018)
In 2017/18 there were 7241 students in the primary education. (Statbank, 2018)

Secondary education

Figure 3:Example of an upper secondary education in The Faroe Islands.

Secondary education is voluntary. There are eight upper secondary schools in The Faroe Islands and one of them is former known as the fisheries college in Vestmanna (now Midnam Vestmanna). They formerly had a 3 year upper secondary education in aquaculture/fisheries with practical internship. This study unfortunately was closed down in 2012 due to a downfall of the fish farming industry and no industrial need for additional staff.

This has changed and the need for a vocational education in aquaculture is now present.

Figure 5: Model of the former fisheries/aquaculture study at Midnam Vestmanna.

Sources:

• Faroe,2018 : Faroe Islands fisheries and aquaculture, Ministry of fishery and natural resources.
• FI,2018: Faroeislands.fo, https://www.faroeislands.fo/people-society/education-research/education/
• Statbank,2018: https://statbank.hagstova.fo/pxweb/en/H2/H2__UV__UV02/fs_ntalsk.px/table/tableViewLayout1/?rxid=d44fee15-3e8c-4277-b3db-ca1d7a1c2c01