To get a better understanding of the Icelandic education system, I sat down with Arnór Guðmundsson for this episode of the All Things Iceland podcast. In his role as the Director of the Directorate of Education, his agency focuses on testing and producing textbooks for schools in Iceland. We discussed many things. Some of them include the different levels of education in Iceland, how the Icelandic education system compares with other countries, and some challenges the Directorate is facing.

The continued decrease in literacy among Icelandic teenage boys and how the survival of the Icelandic language is threatened by English are topics most people are not aware of who live outside of the country. Arnór was helpful in giving an overview of the system. I have also included answers to frequently asked questions regarding the Icelandic education system, which are not in the podcast interview.

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figcaption>Photo by Evelyn Paris</figcaption></figure>

Contents

Questions I asked Arnór during the interview:

• What made you interested in working in the Directorate of Education in Iceland?
• How is the education system in Iceland setup? What are the different levels?
• I assume that technology is used quite a bit in schools here. I am just wondering how it is used in the different education levels. Is it used early on or does the introduction of  technology start at a later education level?
• Is it important to promote and foster creativity in schools in Iceland? 
• What is the difference in the standard of education between public schools vs private schools in Iceland?
• How does the education system in Iceland compare with other Nordic countries?
• When a child that doesn’t speak or understand Icelandic enters the education system, is there a process for helping them to learn the language?
• What are some challenges regarding the education system that the Directorate of Education is trying to tackle?
• I read a recent article about the reading comprehension being much poorer in Iceland than in other countries. Basically, the amount of students that did not achieve basic reading comprehension standards increased quite a bit. What do you think are some of the reasons why reading comprehensions skills among some students has deteriorated?
• Is there any concern about how much English is being used among teenagers in Iceland?
• You studied at the University of Minnesota back in the 90’s. Do you feel that your education in Iceland back then had prepared you for studying in the U.S.?
• Please share your impression of the education system in the United States on a university level
• What is your favorite Icelandic word or phrase?

What is the history of the education system in Iceland?

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figcaption>Photo by Zak Boca</figcaption></figure>

One of the oldest educational institutions in Iceland, Menntaskólin í Reykjavík, can be traced back to 1056! For centuries, education in Iceland has been of great importance.  However, the first national education law wasn’t passed until 1907. Later, the Compulsory Education Act of 1974 modernized the Icelandic education system. It included a mandate for providing special education services to all students with disabilities.

Three former schools, Prestaskólinn, Læknaskólinn and Lagaskólinn, were combined to create the University of Iceland in 1911. The schools individually taught theology, medicine and law. Naturally, the professors in the early days of the university only taught those classes for those specific fields. Over time, the fields and expertise of the faculty have diversified. This university is the country’s oldest and largest institution for higher education.

Governing Agency for Icelandic Education

The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture was established in 1942 and has the jurisdiction of educational responsibility in the country. It issues the national curriculum guidelines for the educational institutions. Most schools in Iceland are public but there are a small number of private schools that have popped up. Interestingly, the Icelandic education system has been decentralized over the years. The local authorities are responsible for the primary and lower schools. While the Ministry is responsible for the upper secondary schools and higher education.

About five years ago, the National Center for Educational Materials and The Education Testing Institute combined to become the Directorate of Education. As mentioned in the podcast interview above, Arnór leads that agency.

What are the levels in the Icelandic education system?

There are four levels of education in Iceland. They are playschool, primary school, upper secondary school, and higher education.

These levels are split into compulsory and non-compulsory. Play school, upper secondary school and higher education are non-compulsory. Primary school is the only compulsory, or mandatory schooling in the country.

Pre-primary school or Play school (Leikskólí)

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figcaption>Photo by Markus Spiske</figcaption></figure>

Parents with children between the ages of two and six can opt to send them to play school. While it is not mandatory for the child to attend this level of schooling, it is helpful for them because specific curriculum has been set up at this level. It is meant to help the child transition to the compulsory education level. Play school is not free but the cost is subsidized by the local municipalities.

About 30% of the fees paid by parents covers the cost of running the playschools. If a parent opts to send their child to a private playschool, they will pay about 10-20% more than the public institutions. The time spent at a play school can vary. The range is normally a minimum of four hours and a maximum of nine hours per day.

Compulsory (Primary) Education

Compulsory education consists of primary and upper secondary school. In Iceland, children between the ages of six and sixteen must attend school. The school year begins between August 21st and September 1st and ends between May 31st and June 10th. Children attend school five days a week and must have a minimum of 180 school days in the year. As in other countries, the parents of children in Iceland are responsible for their children attending school. As mentioned in the history of the Icelandic school system, the municipalities fund the schools and provide the necessary resources. These include teachers, administration, specialists and special education. 100% of students that are supposed to attend school are accepted and this level of education is completely free.

Due to the population in each area around the country, compulsory school sizes can vary widely. It is not uncommon for there to be less than ten students in a rural school in Iceland, but around 1200 students in a school in