The Danish Education System Primary and secondary education Higher Education Lifelong Learning The Danish Education System Written in cooperation between: The Ministry of Higher Education and Science, The Ministry for Children, Education and Gender Equality and The Ministry of Culture Print: Rosendahls A/S Photos: Jakob Dall, Tuala Hjarnø, Torben Klint og Jens Hasse Publication can be downloaded from ufm.dk/en/publications Published with the support from the European Commission August 2016 ISBN: 87-92962-60-2 STYRELSEN FOR VIDEREGÅENDE UDDANNELSER Introduction This booklet provides a brief introduction to the Danish education system – from primary school to youth- and higher education. Besides giving you this overview the booklet also presents the advanced system of adult education and training and tells you about the Danish grading scale, about financing and education grants, quality assurance as well as other items. Furthermore, it will direct you to relevant sources for further reading. The booklet has been written in cooperation between The Ministry of Higher Education and Science, The Ministry for Children, Education and Gender Equality and the Ministry of Culture. 1 THE DANISH EDUCATION SYSTEM The Danish Education System STEP ISCED 1 EQF 2 20 88 19 Professional 18 and Vocational PhD Adult Education 7 7 17 Master 16 Master’s programmes (candidatus) 6 6 Diploma 15 5 5 14 AP 13 Bachelor’s programmes Professional bachelor’s programmes Academy profession programmes 4 General adult AMU education eud eux euv Maritime VET 3 4 12 stx hhx htx hf hf 11 egu 3 10 General upper secondary education Vocational education and training Combined youth education Production school avu 10 Non-compulsory 2 2 9 8 7 11 6 FVU 5 4 3 NEEDS EDUCATION SPECIAL 2 1 Primary and lower secondary education 0 0 Pre-school class Kindergarten 1. International Standard Classification of Education (UNESCO) For a presentation of adult education and training, see page 12-13 2. European Qualifications Framework (EU) 2 Primary and lower secondary education The public system 3. Trust in the school and pupil well-being must both be enhanced through respect for profes- The Danish public school – the ”Folkeskole” - is sional knowledge and practice in the public a comprehensive, integrated municipal school school. covering primary and lower secondary education (ISCED 1 and 2) without streaming. Pupils- are continuously evaluated. Teachers devel op individual learning plans for pupils, which are In the 2014/2015 school year, 78% of all pupils in updated regularly. National computer-based tests primary and lower secondary schools attended have been introduced in a number of subjects the Folkeskole, 16% attended private schools, in grades 2 to 8. Progression to the next grade is 4% attended private residential schools known usually automatic. School-leaving examinations as ”Efterskoler”, and 2% attended special schools. are taken in grade 9. Moreover, pupils in grade 9 Education is compulsory for ten years starting complete a one week project assignment. from the year the child turns six. It is education itself that is compulsory, not schooling. Other possibilities Apart from the compulsory grades 0 to 9, the Folkeskole also has an optional grade 10. In the Parents may choose a private school for their 2014/2015 school year, 51% of pupils having at- children. Private schools are self-governing insti- tended grade 9 also attended grade 10. tutions required to measure up to the standards of public schools. The average number of pupils per class in the Folkeskole is 21.4, while the figure for private There are many different types of private schools schools is 18.1 (2014/2015). and some are based on a specific philosophy, a special pedagogical approach or a religious belief. According to the Folkeskole Act, schools must provide pupils with subject-specific qualifications Continuation schools - Efterskoler - are private and prepare them for further education. More- residential schools for pupils in grades 8 to 10. In over, schools should prepare pupils for their role addition to normal subjects, emphasis in these as citizens in a democratic society. The Folkeskole schools is typically on social learning and fields builds on the principle of differentiated teaching. such as sports, music, nature or ecology. Teaching is organised so it strengthens and devel- ops interests and qualifications while catering for Private schools receive a substantial state subsidy the needs of the individual pupil. It also aims at based on the number of pupils in these schools. developing pupils’ cooperative skills. There are three national goals for public schools in order to support and develop their strengths and academic standards: 1. The public school must challenge all pupils to reach their full potential. 2. The public school must lower the significance of social background on academic results. 3 THE DANISH EDUCATION SYSTEM General and vocational upper secondary education In- Denmark, upper secondary education program regard- to the hf programme, students choose sub mes,- also referred to as youth education program jects from the electives offered by the school. mes, can be divided into: The curriculum and examinations must follow – General upper secondary education pro- national standards and are subject to external grammes, which primarily prepare students evaluation. The curricula of the hhx and the htx for higher education. differ from those of the stx and the hf. In addition – Vocational upper secondary education and to some general upper secondary subjects, hhx training programmes, which primarily pre- offers financial and business subjects, and the htx pare students for a career in a specific trade offers technical subjects. or industry. The stx and hf programmes are offered primarily by general upper secondary schools. This sort of General upper secondary school is called Gymnasium. Business and tech- education programmes nical colleges offer the hhx and htx programmes, respectively. Some schools are mixed schools of- fering various types of programmes. There- are four academically oriented general up per secondary programmes: Admission requirements for the stx, hhx and htx are a Folkeskole Leaving Certificate as well as – The 3-year Upper Secondary School certain subject requirements. For the hf, admis- Leaving Examination, Gymnasium (stx) sion requirements are 10 years of basic school or – The 3-year Higher Commercial the equivalent thereof. The stx, hhx and htx are Examination (hhx) for students aged 16-19, whereas the hf attracts – The 3-year Higher Technical both young people and adults. The hf programme Examination (htx) can be taken on a single-subject basis and is also – The 2-year Higher Preparatory taught in evening classes. Examination (hf) The programmes will be subject to changes in the All four programmes prepare students for further coming years, following a political agreement in studies while also developing the students’ perso- June 2016 between the Government and a majo- nal and general competencies. The programmes rity in the Danish Parliament. aim to enhance the students’ independent and analytical skills as well as preparing them to be- come democratic and socially conscious citizens Vocational education with a global outlook. and training (VET) Each education programme has its specific range of compulsory subjects that are common for all Vocational education and training (VET) includes students attending the programme. For the stx, more than 100 main programmes leading to al- hhx and htx programmes, each school also offers a most 300 different qualifications at level 3 to 5 in number of different specialised study programmes the Danish qualification framework. The duration (packages normally containing three subjects) and varies from 2 to 5½ years, the most typical being elective subjects for students to choose from. With 3½ to 4 years. VET programmes are combination 4 ”sandwich-type”- programmes in which theoreti to the second basic course linked to the more than cal and practical education at a vocational college 100 different main programmes. The four main (approxmately 1/3 of the time) alternates with subject areas are: practical training in an approved company or or- ganisation (approximately 2/3 of the time). The – Care, health and pedagogy dual training principle building on apprenticeship – Administration, commerce and business contracts in companies ensures that the trainees service acquire theoretical, practical, general and personal – Food, agriculture and hospitality skills which are in demand in the labour market. – Technology, construction and transportation Vocational- education and training consists of a ba VET programmes are normally completed with a sic programme divided into two basic courses and journeyman’s test or a similar examination testing the main programme. VET students enrolled dire- vocational knowledge, skills and competences. ctly after compulsory school will start on the first The majority commence with the basic VET pro- basic course which is not an option for students gramme, but some students choose to begin with enrolled at least one year later. The length of each a period of in-company training before they enter of the two basic courses is 20 weeks. The main the basic programme. Also, students who prefer programme is based on the alternating principle practical training to school attendance can com- typically organised as 4-5 periods of school-based mence their vocational education in a company education and training at the workplace, which which offers practical training, also referred to as in total typically takes 3 to 3½ years, but can be the “New Apprenticeship”: The student enters a shorter or longer for certain programmes. VET training agreement with a company and during programmes are offered by vocational technical the first year must acquire the same knowled- colleges, business colleges and social and health ge and qualifications as the students who have care colleges. followed the basic programme at a college. This requires flexibility on the part of the student, the The- Danish VET system also offers a VET program company and the college.