EDUCATION
GUIDE AUTUMN 2018
How does the Danish educational system work? EDUCATION GUIDE
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How does the Danish educational system work? There are many things to consider when getting settled in your new country reestablishing your family life. If you have young children, you will probably be asking yourself whether day-care is available, and if it is, are there different options? For those with older children, the question might be how does the education system function? Is it compatible with the one back home? Is it as good? Then you may need to decide whether to go state or private. All importantly, if my children don’t speak the language, how well will they integrate and will they make friends? It may also be relevant to ask what opportunities there are for higher education and will a degree or qualification taken in Denmark be recognised abroad?
High standards The Danish school system is considered one of the best in the world. Higher education and training in Denmark ranked 6th in the World Economic Forum’s league table 2017-2018 and 5th in the 2018 Universitas 21 rankings.
Free or fee-paying? All children are entitled to free tuition at Danish municipal primary and lower secondary
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schools, as are adult students living in Denmark, depending on the level and nature of the institution. Private schools are also fairly common and these are heavily statesubsidised. It is also possible to find international schools where the curriculum, which often follows a UK, US or French model, is taught in English, French, Spanish, German or Japanese. Although there may be some Danish students, the student body is typically international.
The six stages There are six stages of education in Denmark: 1. Pre-school 2. Primary and lower secondary education 3. Upper secondary education 4. Vocational education and training 5. Higher education 6. Adult learning. Before pre-school, most Danish children have attended day-care. After pre-school, which is optional, children go on to do nine
years of compulsory education in primary and secondary school, with an option to take a tenth year. The same pupils stay together for all the 9 years. The tenth form can be taken in the existing school if it is offered, but is also available at an efterskole, ungdomsskole or fri fagskole. As well as providing academic programs allowing entry into higher education, upper secondary education can offer programmes of a more vocational nature.
Keep on learning Denmark has a long tradition for lifelong learning and many Danes participate in adult education. Workplaces also expect staff to upgrade their skills through educational schemes throughout their working careers. Sources: bit.ly/2jZK8Rg bit.ly/2Q1JDSY
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WHAT IF YOUR CHILD IS NOT OLD ENOUGH TO START SCHOOL? In Denmark, both parents normally work, so pre-school facilities are a high priority and there are a number of options available. All children under the age of six are legally entitled to attend a day-care facility. This term covers institutions such as crèches, day-care institutions, nursery schools and age-integrated institutions. The development of the child is prioritised very highly, so as well as providing a safe environment for child care, the institutions co-operate with parents to support the development of the individual’s self-esteem.
Day-care facilities
Because day-care is a legal requirement, the local authority is obliged to provide facilities for any child aged 26 weeks and up to school age. These can be organised in various ways – either as local-authority child-minding, local-authority day-care centres, independent day-care centres, private child-minding, or an approved private day-care centre. In cases where parents work far away from their home, it might be desirable for them to have their children cared for in a day-care facility under another local authority. This is also possible. When a child is admitted to a day-care facility
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through local authority allocation, the local council subsidises the cost of the child’s place, and the parents make up the difference. There is also a sibling discount if more than one child in a household is in the same institution. If parents want their child to attend an approved private day-care centre, they may be able to obtain a financial subsidy to pay for the place. There is also the possibility of obtaining an aided-place subsidy if the parental income is below a certain level.
Child-minding in private homes
In the local-authority regime, child-minding takes place in a private home and a child-minder can take care of up to five children. Children are assigned to individual child-minders by the local authority. If two or more child-minders work together, they may be permitted to look after up to ten children. There are also private private child-minders whose work is governed by an operating agreement between them and the local authority. The local authority subsidises the individual child and supervises the scheme.
Day care centres
These are institutions such as crèches, nursery schools and age-integrated institutions. They cater for children from birth to school
age. They can either be run by the local authority or by private individuals. Independent day care centres are owned and run by private individuals under the terms of an agreement with the local authority. They are subject to local authority supervision and receive subsidies from the local authority to cover their costs. Approved private day-care centres must be licensed by the local authority. However, the centres themselves decide who to admit and children are not referred to them by the local authority. They also receive a local authority subsidy per child. In agreement with the local authority, day-care centres can be operated as outsourced daycare centres. These institutions must comply with the same requirements as the local authority day-care centres.
Educational requirements
Since 2004, there has been a legal obligation for all day-care facilities to develop and implement an educational curriculum. There are two prongs – one for children up to 2 years old and one for children aged 3 up until they start school. The curriculum sets out the goals for the daycare facility regarding what the children should
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be learning. It also as describes the methods and activities used to attain these goals and includes a methodology for evaluating the curriculum. Six themes have been highlighted as follows: 1. The comprehensive personal development of the child 2. Social competencies 3. Language 4. Body and motion 5. Nature and natural phenomena 6. Cultural expressions and values The curriculum must also show how the day-care facility works to ensure a good and stimulating environment for the children in its care. This environment must be considered from a child’s perspective and the children’s own experiences of that environment taken into consideration. It’s up to the individual day-care facility to decide on their own approach. The leader of the facility is responsible for preparing and publishing the curriculum and for carrying out an annual evaluation. This includes documenting whether the approaches and activities chosen meet the objectives outlined within the themes. The curriculum must be approved by the local council, who are also responsible for monitoring its implementation.
Language assessment
Any child aged 3 enrolled in a day-care facility may be given a language assessment test if there are linguistic, behavioural or other grounds to suggest that that child may be in need of language stimulation. This test is compulsory for all children aged 3 who are not attending a day-care facility. If the assessment shows the need for language stimulation, the local council must provide it. Publisher: CPH POST • Editor: Hans Hermansen Journalists: Stephen Gadd • Layout: CPH POST Info: hans@cphpost.dk, Tel: +45 2420 2411 Cover photo by Adam Mørk of a classroom at CIS
We teach the love of learning As a parent you don’t just want a school with strong academics. You want an international school with strong academics that makes your child happy. A place that offers exciting After School Activities in addition to the renowned IB curriculum. A school where children from all over the world fit in, feel welcome and find new best friends. CIS is such a school. We are one of the original IB Diploma Schools and today we offer the Primary Years Program, the Middle Years Program and the Diploma Program, which gives access to outstanding universities worldwide. For more information please visit cis.dk
Education at the primary and lower secondary level In Denmark, education is compulsory for everyone between the ages of 6 and 16 or 17. Whether this occurs in a public school, private school or at home is a matter of individual choice, as long as pre-set standards are met. It is the education itself that is compulsory, not school. Education here is free, unless you choose a private school or boarding school. The law guarantees a free choice of public schools within the local authority area where you live. However, some schools have a better reputation than others and can be full or have long waiting lists.
Public school The Danish Public School (Folkeskole) is a comprehensive school consisting of both primary and lower secondary classes. Primary school covers classes 1-6 and lower secondary classes 7-9, with an optional 10th class available in some cases. The Folkeskole is unstreamed and the formation of classes is based on the child’s age and not in subject-specific proficiency. Classes usually consist of approximately 20 pupils. The number must not exceed 28, although under certain exceptional circumstances, a municipality can give a dispensation for a class of up to 30. The Folkeskole is governed by an Act of Parliament which lays down the foundations and objectives governing its activities. All municipal primary and lower secondary schools share a common aim, standard requirements concerning the subjects taught at the specific form levels, standard regulations concerning the socalled Common Objectives for the teaching in the individual subjects, as well as standard regulations concerning the leadership and organisation of the school system. The Act also lays down clear rules for parent/ school co-operation, and parents are expected to take an active part in their children’s schooling. Schools are obliged to report on pupils’ progress at least twice per year. However, it is the responsibility of the individual municipal boards to determine how schools are to be organised within the legal framework. The boards can also set their own additional objectives for schools. This has the advantage that a child
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who changes schools will, on the whole, find the new routine similar to the one he or she has been accustomed to.
Private schools Denmark has a long tradition of private schools encompassing the idea of “a school for life based on the living word”. Unlike many other countries, Denmark subsidies private schools heavily. However, getting into one of the more prestigious ones can be difficult, as the waiting lists are often long. Private schools in Denmark fall mainly into the following categories: 1. Small independent schools in rural districts (friskoler), 2. Large independent schools in urban districts (privatskoler), 3. Religious or Congregational schools, 4. Progressive free schools, 5. Schools with a particular educational aim, such as the Rudolf Steiner schools 6. German minority schools, 7. Immigrant schools. Private schools which have been approved receive government funding regardless of the ideological, religious, political or ethnic motivation behind their establishment.
International schools This might be the ideal solution for a foreign national living in Denmark who wants an international
education for his or her child. There are a number of them around, especially in the Copenhagen area. International basic schools are private elementary schools approved by the Ministry of Education and the teaching is in languages other than Danish either for the whole school or for divisions within it. They often teach a curriculum which leads to an internationally recognised accreditation, such as the International Baccalaureate or the Cambridge education system.
Municipal International Basic Schools In April 2015, new legislation allowed municipalities to set up international basic schools from the school year 2015/16. The legislation is intended to strengthen local initiatives aimed at recruiting highly-qualified foreign labour and to attract foreign companies. Municipal international basic schools admit children subject to compulsory education whose parents are foreigners residing temporarily in Denmark due to their employment and whose parents wish to have their children enrolled at the school. Municipal international basic schools are free-standing schools outside the framework of the Danish Folkeskole. Further information about municipal international basic schools can be had from local school authorities in the municipality. Source bit.ly/2vWjgEg
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Upper secondary education
Upper secondary education typically starts at the end of full-time compulsory education and caters for students aged 16-19. Unless a private school is chosen, it is free of charge.
program focuses on business and socio-economic disciplines, in combination with foreign languages and other general subjects.
There are two types of programs:
The HTX program is focused on technological and scientific subjects, in combination with general subjects.
Students can take several different routes at this level and there are four academically-orientated programs available:
Each of the programs has a range of compulsory subjects. Additionally, in STX, HHX and HTX, each school offers a number of specialised studies packages normally containing three subjects and offers elective subjects for students to choose between. In HF, students choose from among the elective subjects offered by the individual school. All the programs contain multi-subject courses which serve to strengthen students’ preparedness for further study.
1. General education qualifying for access to higher education 2. Vocational or technical education qualifying primarily for access to the labour market (see separate article).
1. The 3-year Upper Secondary School Leaving Examination (STX) 2. The 3-year Higher Commercial Examination (HHX) 3. The 3-year Higher Technical Examination (HTX) 4. The 2-year Higher Preparatory Examination (HF) These four programs prepare young people for higher education and ensure that they acquire a general education, knowledge and competences by means of the subjects they study and through the interaction between them. The STX and HF programs consist of a broad range of subjects in the humanities, natural science and social sciences, whereas the HHX
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Admission
To be admitted to one of the three-year upper secondary education programs (STX, HHX, HTX), students must have completed nine years of Danish basic education or have received corresponding teaching and have taken the primary and lower secondary school compulsory final examination. For HF, a student must have completed ten years of Danish basic education and have taken examinations in Danish, English, mathematics, a second foreign language (French or German) and physics/chemistry.
If for some reason a student has not taken the required examinations for admission to STX/ HHX/HTX or HF, an admission test can also be taken. students who have not attended a Danish school can be admitted following a concrete assessment as to whether their qualifications correspond to those required by students who have attended a Danish school. They may also be required to take an admission test.
Student involvement
The needs and wishes of the students are takenvery seriously and they have the right to form a student council and are also represented on the school board. The school must also ensure that students are involved in the planning of class teaching. Schools are obliged to provide academic guidance and guidance on higher education and careers.
International upper secondary schools
As of April 2018, there are 17 international upper secondary schools in Denmark (5 private, 12 public) most of which offer the International Baccalaureate. A prerequisite is that the international course offered must be able to provide access to higher education in Denmark.
Same-sex siblings less likely to make genderstereotyped education choices – Danish study PhD student at the University of Copenhagen contends, and partly blames the parental tendency to spend more time with their same gender offspring By Ben Hamilton Same-sex siblings are less likely to pursue the kind of education particularly favoured by one gender, according to a PhD study by an economics student at the Økonomisk Institut in the University of Copenhagen. For example, a boy who has a sister is more likely to study a gender-stereotyped education – for example, something scientific and technical – than a boy who only has brothers, and vice-versa, girls with a brother are more likely to train for a caring profession such as nursing.
A whole generation took part For her study, Anne Ardila Brenøe took official registration data for all Danish children over a 25-year period (1962-85) and analysed their education choices from their early days at public school all the way through their higher education up until the age of 30. Brenøe blames the parents for interacting differently with their children, along the tendency of fathers to spend more time with their son, and mothers to spend more time with their daughters.
At the root of the imbalance “If we as a society want to give boys and girls the same opportunities in the job market in terms of employment and pay, we need to deal with how to counteract this sustained transfer of gender norms across generations,” contended Brenøe. “There is no evidence that boys should be biologically better than girls at maths, so if society wants a more equal gender distribution within different study fields and the labour market, it is important to focus on how the social environment of children – including within the family – affects the development of their behaviour, attitudes and preferences.” While women account for 54 percent of all higher education students, they make up only 28 percent of those on science, technology, engineering and maths courses.
Fathers who spend more time with their sons than daughters are partly responsible for the inequality, claims study (photo: topyaps.com)
Republished with the kind permission of the author.The original article was first published in 2017.
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Vocational training Vocational education and training programs (VET) are alternating or sandwich-type programs where practical training in a company alternates with teaching at a vocational college. The idea is to motivate young people to complete a training program qualifying them for employment and at the same time, accommodating the needs of the labour market. The programs aim to give young people a taste of further education and active participation in society by developing their personal and social skills, instilling a spirit of independence and co-operation and stimulating their awareness of innovation, the environment and internationalisation. Anyone completing VET is immediately eligible to work within the field that the program has focused on. The target group here is not only students coming directly from school but also adults with prior vocational experience.
The colleges
A number of institutions and colleges offer basic vocationally-oriented education programs. As well as the basic vocational education and training programs, the colleges also offer other programs such as HHX, and HTX, as well as further education and training for adults. Courses and programs commissioned by companies are also available in many colleges. Education and training programs with a small intake are conducted at trade schools, which cover a whole region. These schools have boarding facilities for students.
Admission to vocational education The vocational education and training system (VET-system) offers more than 100 different types of vocational educations. Admission to the basic VET program is free.
The VET consists of a basic program ending with an examination followed by a main program. The basic program is a school-based course, whilst the main program is built upon the dual principle, where students alternate between school and apprenticeship. All VET programs give graduates access to further education and training. In the VET system one level of qualification provides access to the next. All VET-programs also provide full or conditional access to higher education programs and further adult education programs at EQF level 5 and level EQF 6.
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Eux
The Danish VET-system offers a program called Eux which combines a general upper secondary education with vocational education and training. This qualifies students for a job as well as giving them direct access to higher education in a wide range of programs, i.e. leading to a journeyman’s certificate as well as the general upper secondary diploma.
Euv
People above 25 years have access to VET programs designed especially for adults on the basis of recognition of prior learning and relevant work experience, which leads to the same vocational qualifications.
Admission requirements
Admission to VET usually requires completion of compulsory education and a school leaving certificate obtaining the minimum grade 2.0 in Danish and mathematics or the student starts with on-the-job training in a business enterprise if they have signed a training agreement with that enterprise. People with non-Danish qualifications can also be admitted to the VET-program on the basis of a non-Danish qualification comparable
to the lower secondary (Folkeskole) leaving certificate. Before entering VET the student is required to document an exam grade average equivalent to 2.0 or higher in the mathematics and the language of instruction or Danish (in cases where Danish was taught as a first language). It is up to the vocational college to decide whether the applicant fulfils the entry requirements.
Basic program (The first year)
Vocational education and training consist of a basic program divided into two basic courses and the main program. VET-students enrolled directly after compulsory school will start on the first basic course, which older students can’t. They enrol directly in the second basis course. The two basic courses are of 20 weeks duration.
Basic course #1
The first part of the basic course (20 weeks) is for students who have just finished compulsory educations. The course is designed to give the student a broad vocational knowledge and competences. The student will obtain an overview of the different programs in order to choose the right vocational education and training.
Basic course #2
The second part of the basic program takes place within the vocational education and training program that the student has chosen. The course finishes with an examination and is then followed by the main program. The basic program is a school-based course, while the main program is build upon the dual principle, where the students alternate between school and apprenticeship.
Main subject areas
The four main subject areas of the Danish VET system are: 1. Care, health and pedagogy 2. Administration, commerce and business service 3. Food, agriculture and hospitality 4. Technology, construction and transportation
Main program
Duration The main program of the Danish VET is based on the alternating principle typically organised as 4-5 periods of school-based education and
training at the workplace. The students must therefore have a training agreement with an approved company which offers training. The main program typically takes 3 to 3½ years, but can be shorter or longer. Main programs are offered at EQF level 3 (1,5 years), at EQF level 4 (3 years) and some programs at EQF level 5 ( 5 years). VET-programs are normally completed with a journeyman’s test or a similar examination testing vocational knowledge, skills and competences.
New apprenticeship
Students who prefer practical training to school can organise their vocational education in a company which offers practical training. The student enters a training agreement with a company and during the first year is expected to acquire the same knowledge and qualifications as the students who have followed the basic program at a VET college. This requires flexibility on the part of the student, the company and the college.
Supervision and quality
The Ministry of Education is responsible for the overall supervision of vocational education and training programs. Trade committees approve the companies providing training during an internship and are responsible for monitoring the in-company training. All colleges are required to carry out continuous quality assessment and development, in which self-evaluation on the basis of the college’s results is part. The trade committees are required to do the same for the companies offering practical training. In particular, they must keep up with employment developments and supervise the completion of the trainees in close co-operation with the Ministry. Source: bit.ly/2LTovec
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Efterskole – a very Danish institution
An efterskole is a concept that does not really have any English equivalent, so the rather clumsy ‘Independent boarding school for lower secondary students’ is the closest we can get to a definition of it. These residential schools cater for pupils between the ages of 14 and 17 and as of 2018, there were 241 of them spread around Denmark, with around 29,206 students enrolled for the school year 2018-2019. Schools vary in size from 25 to 500 students, but most of them have a minimum of around 100 students. Efterskoles are also open to foreign students.
New ideas in education Historically, the efterskole springs from the theories of two of the greatest educators in Danish history – Christen Kold and N.F.S. Gruntvig. The first one was founded in 1879 in Galtrup, Mors and in the years that followed, several more efterskoles opened in southern Jutland. Kold and Gruntvig both agreed that education
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should be geared to producing fully-rounded human beings and should not just be book learning by rote. Efterskoles are self-governing independent institutions that provide for both the educational and personal development of their students. They adhere to the principles of providing a general education, life-long enlightenment and guidance on being a citizen in a democratic society.
Close-knit and free Efterskole teachers are responsible both for teaching and the supervision of their students outside school hours. Teachers and students are together all day, from the time the students wake up until they go to bed. This can foster close, personal and informal relationships between students and teachers.
Efterskoles are self-governing institutions and have a high degree of freedom when it comes to e.g. choice of subjects taught, teaching methods and educational approach. These vary in accordance with the school’s political, religious or pedagogical orientation. This freedom is assured via substantial state subsidies to both schools and students. Some efterskoles concentrate on specific areas such as sport or music. This can influence the way the curriculum is put together, but it must not be at the expense of the teaching having a broad base and always measuring up to that offered by the folkeskole. Courses should be open to everyone, regardless of sex or previous educational experience.
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Square pegs and round holes
How does an efterskole work?
If you are a teenager or a parent of teenage children, then the efterskole system is certainly worth considering. Not everyone is able to thrive in the mainstream educational system and an efterskole can turn out to be the road to greater self-confidence, maturity and independence.
Advocates of the Danish efterskole will tell you that a year spent at an efterskole is like several spent in a more formal Danish educational institution.
By its very nature, a boarding school throws disparate individuals much closer together, and so fosters elements of solidarity and communal responsibility. This can also lead to closer friendships than those made at traditional dayschools. There are other educational benefits to be gained from a period at efterskole. Using figures from Danmarks Statistik, a survey of the progress of pupils attending efterskole from 2010 to 2014 shows that pupils taking 10th class at efterskole were academically more advanced than the average and that they take fewer breaks during their further education than pupils from other school systems, regardless of grade averages. So all the more reason to read on and perhaps make a choice that will change your life.
When you attend an efterskole, you spend nearly all your time on school premises. The school becomes your new home, albeit a temporary one, and like a normal home, things happen from early morning until late at night. As well as ordinary school classes, there are lots of other activities taking place, both during and outside school hours and these might include sports, cooking, games, music, drama etc., which all contribute to establishing a fellowship between the students at the school and the teachers.
The international dimension If you’ve just moved to Denmark and you are looking for an education in English for your child, an efterskole might well be the answer. A number of them offer an international curriculum based on the Cambridge International Examination (CIE).
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Many more ideas can be found by investigating the Efterskole website (http://www.efterskole. dk/da), where under ‘Find din efterskole’ you can sort on ‘All subjects taught in English’, Or ‘Cambridge - English’
Host family in Denmark To ease the way for foreign students and ensure that they thrive, some efterskoles are able to provide a ‘host family’ for their students. The host family is a normal Danish family which offers the student hospitality and can act as a ‘reserve family’ while he or she is studying. The families can share their everyday life, weekends and holidays with students and act as a ‘home-from-home’ for those times when it is not possible for students to remain at school, such as holidays and some weekends, or if the student simply needs to get away from it all and have some time to think. Sources: bit.ly/2x59VKu bit.ly/2iifz8w bit.ly/2CchXrm
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ADVERTORIAL
Institut Sankt Joseph Institut Sankt Joseph has seen a steady increase in students in its Bilingual Department since its inception 4 years ago. The expectation is that the department will be full by the year-end, with growing waiting lists especially for the younger years. The school feels that this growth is a testament to the fact that our “hybrid model” is working, and that there is increasing demand from many families for a school option which is able to offer both a Danish and international educational experience simultaneously. This hybrid model has been designed to offer a third school option here in Denmark in addition to the traditional Danish and international school options. In practice, this means a combination of subjects are taught in English (English, Science and Maths) following the Cambridge curriculum, while other subjects like Danish, Art, Religion, Music and Sport
are taught in Danish “following det danske fællesmål”(the Danish National Curriculum). The students then proceed to take the Danish FSA (Folkeskolens Afgangs Eksamener) at the end of their time at the school, and hereby graduate with the ability to either continue on here in Denmark, both in the Danish school system or to go on to International Gymnasiums offering the IB (International Baccalaureate), or indeed elsewhere in the world.
Above: The Institute Sankt Joseph Gospel Choir. Below: End of Year School wide picture in our new School playground
This year saw our first class of 13 students graduating from the programme. Our students performed incredibly well, and some have in fact gone on to obtain special scholarships in their new gymnasiums. We believe the results reflect well upon our programme and show that it is possible to combine two separate curricula, and still maintain a high standard of learning.
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Majority wants to end grade bonus system for students taking fast track into higher education A scheme intended to speed students through higher education and propel them towards the job market is up for re-evaluation by Stephen Gadd Since 2009, Danish students embarking on a higher educational course within two years of finishing high school have been able to multiply their average final grade from their high school by 1.08. It was thought that as well as getting them more quickly through the system and out onto the employment market, the bonus would also enable students to compete favourably for courses with high entrance level requirements. However, a parliamentary majority comprising Dansk Folkeparti, Enhedslisten, Alternativet, SF, Socialdemokratiet and Radikale Venstre now wants to change that, reports TV2 Nyheder.
Something for nothing
“There something rather illogical in the fact that you receive a grade for something you’ve been examined on and then you can increase it because you do something specific that has nothing to do with educational qualifications,” said Jens Henrik Thulesen Dahl, education spokesperson for Dansk Folkeparti. On top of that, figures from the ministry of education and research show that the bonus hasn’t even been effective in getting students started on higher educational courses quicker. The new minister for education and research, Tommy Ahlers, expects to start discussions on the future of the bonus scheme after Parliament’s summer recess. On the government side, Venstre is also willing to take a look at the scheme. “It appears that the scheme is a major source of stress to the students, so we’re looking to see whether this is something we can do away with,” said Mads Fuglede, education and research spokesperson for Venstre to Altinget.
Pay as you go – or not
There are other ways to bump up your grades,
MPs want to end preferential treatment on high school grades and exam cheating through paid papers (photo: flickr/ccarlstead)
though. A number of internet firms have been offering to write essays for students – for a fee. Back in 2017, FixMinOpgave could write an essay for you for only 350 kr per hour.
og Handelsretten, reports DR Nyheder. If the company defies the ban it could unleash a fine or at worst, up to four months imprisonment.
FixMinOpgave touted different packages that could cost up to 7,900 kr for a paper that would give a grade 12 – even offering a money-back guarantee if the student didn’t attain the required grade.
A number of politicians wanted to ban the company last year, but minister of education Merete Riisager would not go along with the ban. But in January this year she changed her mind.
But that is now a thing of the past. The consumer ombudsman has ordered the company to cease its activities immediately and also reported the firm to the commercial court Sø
“When I see the increasing amount of activity that FixMinOpgave has, I have to admit that this is so serious that we will have to see whether we can institute a ban,” said Riisager. EDUCATION GUIDE
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THE JUNK PLAYGROUND – Denmark’s eco-contribution to outdoor school education
Playing and learning in the great outdoors is a popular form of schooling in Scandinavia, and its origins go back to the 19th century By Stephen Gadd Outdoor schools of various kinds are becoming increasingly popular. They are a good way of making children aware of the environment as a whole and their part in it and also afford opportunities for healthy exercise. Although its origins can be traced back to the 19th century, the modern outdoor school seems to have originated in Scandinavia. In addition, Denmark also has the distinction of inventing the ‘junk playground’ (skrammellegepladsen). The first one of these was founded in Emdrup in 1943 during the dark days of the German Occupation of Denmark.
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John Bertelsen, who ran it, had been trained at a teacher training college where a free and anti-authoritarian atmosphere prevailed. Radical ideas and new thinking were encouraged, as was a critical view of capitalism: “Mankind is good, but his development is hampered by the culture of the bourgeois society.” Many of the students looked forward to a future socialist utopia. It is perhaps not surprising that Bertelsen spent three months in prison for Resistance activities.
Developing through play In the 1930s, cultural radicals advocating for reformist ideas in pedagogy were questioning the prevailing wisdom that it was necessary for adults to force knowledge into children. Rather, they contended, the children themselves should be allowed to develop naturally – and this included using play. These ideas can be traced back to those of the 18th
century philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who formulated the concept of the ‘natural human’. Ole Schultze Henriksen, an academic who worked in junk playgrounds for 20 years and who has written a history of them, says that the ideas behind them were formed by the landscape architect Carl Theodor Sørensen. “He thought that children didn’t need conventional play furniture such as climbing frames or slides; they should just be given earth, pieces of wood, bricks and shovels,” Henriksen told CPH POST. Sørensen’s goal, continued Henriksen, was to create a place where children were able to be creative and play where “they can dream and fantasise and make their dreams and fantasies real”. Sørensen wanted to give urban
children the same possibilities as those enjoyed by children growing up in the country.
hagen’s congested neighbourhoods into the countryside.
This, of course, is very much in tune with the ideas of Friedrich Froebel, the creator of the kindergarten, which literally means ‘children’s garden’. Moreover, ‘kindergarten’ signifies both a garden for children as a location where they can observe and interact with nature, but also a garden of children, where they themselves can grow and develop in freedom from arbitrary imperatives.
The concept has now been extended to older children, as more and more schools have started introducing curriculum-based outdoor learning as a weekly or fortnightly ‘outdoor school’ day for children aged 7-16.
Outdoor schools today Junk playgrounds in the form in which they were originally conceived have more or less ceased to exist. Many of them have been demolished and the remaining ones are now under the auspices of after-school clubs. “In my opinion, the playgrounds have lost the originality, strength and idealism that they once had, so today, it is difficult to distinguish them from ‘normal’ children’s day institutions,” contended Henriksen. However, some of the ideas of the educational reformers from the past do live on, and outdoor schools embrace some of that spirit of adventure and ‘hands on’ teaching methods designed to reconnect children with nature and the natural world. ‘Outdoor school’ or ‘nature school’ is a broad term that describes regular teaching taking place in nature or in cultural surroundings. This can mean in woods, parks, in the local community, firms, museums and on farms. It is an extension and supplement to normal schooling activities and is characterised by teachers making use of the local environment when teaching specific subjects and curriculum areas. For example, natural objects can be incorporated into projects in mathematics or literature and visits to culturally important sites bring history lessons to life. According to Niels Ejbye-Ernst, a researcher at the University of Copenhagen, the first record of a Danish outdoor school is from 1950, when Ella Flatau started a ‘walking kindergarten’ that included a daily hike in the woods as part of the curriculum. Within a few years, mothers began organising schools that transported their children from Copen-
Do they work? Case studies have shown that teaching across multiple platforms can foster better relations between children and between children and teachers in a class. Experienced outdoor-school teachers all emphasise that the system is very good at motivating children. Most of them point out that the variation offered by outdoor schools contributes to a large number of children actually enjoying going to school. They also say that children become more actively communicative when they are at an outdoor school.
What do the kids think? In 2015, a survey was carried out to ascertain what the children who attended outdoor schools thought of them. The survey gathered data from 689 children from seven schools throughout Denmark. The vast majority of children who were asked completed the survey. The survey concluded that Danish children are positive about outdoor schools. Some 77 percent of the children agreed with the precept ‘I like tuition when we have outdoor school’ and 68 percent agreed that ‘I look forward to outdoor school’. It was not only age-specific, as both young and older children said they enjoyed outdoor school. However, the survey did show (perhaps unsurprisingly) that boys enjoy outdoor school more than girls, although both sexes enjoy the learning process at an outdoor school. The boys also found it easier to concentrate on teaching and to remember what they’ve learnt. So maybe Rousseau et al were really on to something, and the concept has a future after all? Republished with the kind permission of the author.The original article was first published in 2017. All photos courtesy of Ole Schultze Henriksen
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LEARN DANISH – MAKE FRIENDS AND IMPROVE YOUR JOB PROSPECTS
Even though you may only be here for a short time, it can still pay dividends to learn the language. Foreigners come to Denmark for a number or reasons. Usually, but of course not exclusively, these are work postings, au pair jobs or for romantic reasons. In the latter case, once settled a spouse or partner will probably need to venture out onto the job market and take the first steps to becoming part of the wider Danish society. So it can still pay dividends to learn the language. For one thing, you will get much
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more out of your stay here and you may also make some new friends for life. On a trivial level, it is also nice to be able to follow what is happening in Denmark through the Danish news media. More importantly, it will also give you much more choice when it comes to job-seeking, as by and large, unless you have been head-hunted from your home country, the jobs available to foreigners who don’t speak Danish are at the lower end of the skills range.
What to do about it
There are several Danish Language schools throughout Denmark which cater specifically
for foreigners. These schools are designed to make learning Danish easy and accessible to their students and cater to their needs, be they social integration or work advancement.
A wide range of courses
A language schools’ core service is teaching the Danish language to adult foreigners. Many of them also offer a wide range of other courses, including special youth courses and courses on Danish culture and society. The vast majority admit students on an ongoing basis. In order to best fit in with your own needs, instruction is organised so that you have
a choice of daily, evening or Saturday courses. The courses are also often planned in co-operation with job centres and companies so as to ensure that students are afforded the necessary time to learn the language.
Online options
In addition to classroom instruction, many of the language centres offer students the option of learning Danish via online courses. Online courses can also be completed with module testing – and can be taken individually or in groups. Online courses have the great advantage that students can study when it fits with their work, family and school schedules – regardless of time and location.
How to join a school
Which school or course you choose will depend on several factors. Some Danish Language schools will offer tuition through the kommune (local council), while others will be tuition-based. The first step is to talk to your kommune – ask them if they have a Danish Language school that you can be sent to. If you take Danish lessons at a language school, not only will you gain a thorough grasp of the language, but you will also be assisted in your integration into Danish society. Many schools offer schemes through which language students and Danes can meet socially on an informal basis for conversation or even get together to have a meal together, so there’s no excuse for not participating!
Denmark’s most effective Danish courses! www.kiss.dk
Sources: dedanskesprogcentre.dk
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