This document outlines the itinerary and objectives of a 7-day educational visit to schools and institutes in Iceland organized by English Matters. The visit included tours of a university, three secondary schools in Reykjavik, and excursions to sites around Iceland. Key aspects of Iceland and its educational system were observed, such as Iceland's small and sparsely populated landscape, the autonomy given to schools, and pillars of the curriculum including literacy, democracy, health, sustainability, and equality. The itinerary provided experiences in various classrooms, meetings with administrators and teachers, and cultural excursions outside of Reykjavik.

1. Structured Educational
Visit to Schools/Institutes
& Training Seminar
in Iceland
ALLPPT.com
Reykjavík
19/03/2017 – 25/03/2017
Anastasios Vafiadis
Chemist, PhD, MEd
Experimental Senior High School of
University of Macedonia, Greece
avafiad@gmail.com
KA1

2. Structured Educational Visit Schools/Institutes
& Training Seminar in Iceland (March 2017)
The program
Organized by English Matters
7 days visit to a University and 3 schools in Reykjavík
Excursions to the countryside.

3. Iceland

4. Iceland
Small country (330,000 citizens) and area of 103,000 km2.
It is the most sparsely populated country in Europe.
(Greece has 11,000,000 citizens and area of 132,000 km2)
Reykjavík (120,000 citizens)
3rd most expensive city in Europe!
Norwegian ancestors
Independent republic 1944
70% Lutherans
No military
Structured Educational Visit Schools/Institutes
& Training Seminar in Iceland (March 2017)

5. Reykjavík
Structured Educational Visit Schools/Institutes
& Training Seminar in Iceland (March 2017)

6. Educational system
Structured Educational Visit Schools/Institutes
& Training Seminar in Iceland (March 2017)

7. Fundamental pillars in education
Structured Educational Visit Schools/Institutes
& Training Seminar in Iceland (March 2017)
Students
Literacy
Democracy
and human
rights
Health and
welfare
Sustaina-
bility
Equality
Creativity

8. Autonomy
Εvery school can shape the curriculum the way it wants,
although there are guidelines from the state.
The budget of each school depends on the outcomes and
mainly on the number of students.
The headmaster with the school board is managing the
school with considerable autonomy (hiring all the stuff
members, selecting the students, choosing the books).
All schools have supporting structures and personnel.
E.g. 1 psychologist, 1 teacher for students with special
needs and 2 social workers per school (500-700 students).
Structured Educational Visit Schools/Institutes
& Training Seminar in Iceland (March 2017)

9. Autonomy
There are schools for anything the students want
(e.g. agriculture, horses, fishery, etc.).
Several ways of evaluation of the students
(for science 70% exams and 30% homework).
An example
3 long terms, 12 weeks each
(50 teaching days, 10 assessment days).
8 classes per week each subject (sports 2 classes)
Each student has 4 or 5 classes + sports.
Structured Educational Visit Schools/Institutes
& Training Seminar in Iceland (March 2017)

10. Some numbers
30 secondary school in Iceland, 10 in Reykjavik.
180 and 175 school days per year (compulsory and secondary)
25-30 students per class.
The time frame is from 8:10 to 14:50 (or 15:30).
Students learn 3 foreign languages
(English, Danish and German or French).
25% drop out of school, due to low unemployment (2%)!
Structured Educational Visit Schools/Institutes
& Training Seminar in Iceland (March 2017)

11. Some (more) numbers
Primary schools are controlled by the city council and
secondary schools by the Ministry of Education
All budgeted by the city council
(13,000 € and 8,600 € per student).
There is a form of internal and external evaluation mainly
for the school as a whole.
Salary of teachers: 3,900 – 5,000 €.
The salaries are fixed and controlled by the Union.
24 or 23 or 19 hours of teaching/week
(depending on the years of teaching).
Structured Educational Visit Schools/Institutes
& Training Seminar in Iceland (March 2017)

12. 1st day
kick-off meeting
Introduction to the program

13. 1st day
kick-off meeting
Knowing each other

14. 2nd day
visit to Education University of Iceland
History of Iceland

15. 2nd day
visit to Education University of Iceland
Icelandic education system

16. 3rd day
visit to Menntaskóllin viđ sund (1st school)
Entrance

17. 3rd day
visit to Menntaskóllin viđ sund (1st school)
School corridors

18. 3rd day
visit to Menntaskóllin viđ sund (1st school)
Conference room

19. 3rd day
visit to Menntaskóllin viđ sund (1st school)
Resting area

20. 3rd day
visit to Menntaskóllin viđ sund (1st school)
Resting area

21. 3rd day
visit to Menntaskóllin viđ sund (1st school)
Physics lesson

22. 3rd day
visit to Menntaskóllin viđ sund (1st school)
Chemistry laboratory

23. 3rd day
visit to Menntaskóllin viđ sund (1st school)
Recording studio

24. 3rd day
visit to Menntaskóllin viđ sund (1st school)
Clothes making

25. 3rd day
visit to Menntaskóllin viđ sund (1st school)
Teachers office

26. 3rd day
visit to Menntaskóllin viđ sund (1st school)
Students cantina

27. 3rd day
visit to Menntaskóllin viđ sund (1st school)
Teachers cantina

28. 3rd day
visit to Menntaskóllin viđ sund (1st school)
Library

29. 4th day
visit to Brúarskóli (2nd school)
Entrance

30. 4th day
visit to Brúarskóli (2nd school)
School corridors

31. 4th day
visit to Brúarskóli (2nd school)
Conference room

32. 4th day
visit to Brúarskóli (2nd school)
Painting classroom

33. 4th day
visit to Brúarskóli (2nd school)
Detention room

34. 4th day
visit Reykjanes Peninsula
The bridge between two continents

35. 4th day
visit Reykjanes Peninsula
Geothermy

36. 4th day
visit Reykjanes Peninsula
Lake

37. 5th day
visit to Kvennaskólinn (3nd school)
Introduction

38. 5th day
visit to Kvennaskólinn (3nd school)
School corridors

39. 5th day
visit to Kvennaskólinn (3nd school)
Resting area

40. 5th day
visit to Kvennaskólinn (3nd school)
Chemistry classroom

41. 5th day
visit to Kvennaskólinn (3nd school)
Classroom

42. 5th day
visit to Kvennaskólinn (3nd school)
Classroom

43. 5th day
visit to Kvennaskólinn (3nd school)
Teachers offices

44. 5th day
visit to Kvennaskólinn (3nd school)
Students cantina

45. 5th day
visit to Kvennaskólinn (3nd school)
Teachers cusine

46. 5th day
visit to Kvennaskólinn (3nd school)
Teachers resting point

47. 6th day
Golden circle tour
Þingvellir National Park

48. 6th day
Golden circle tour
Geysir

49. 6th day
Golden circle tour
Gullfoss

50. 6th day
Golden circle tour
Gullfoss

51. 7th day
Farewell meeting

52. 7th day
Farewell meeting
Our “homework”

53. Structured Educational Visit Schools/Institutes
& Training Seminar in Iceland (March 2017)
Memories (Lake Tjörnin, Reykjavík)

54. Structured Educational Visit Schools/Institutes
& Training Seminar in Iceland (March 2017)
Memories (Höfði, Reykjavík summit, 1986)

55. Structured Educational Visit Schools/Institutes
& Training Seminar in Iceland (March 2017)
Memories (Harpa, opera house)

56. Structured Educational Visit Schools/Institutes
& Training Seminar in Iceland (March 2017)
Memories (Blue lagoon)

57. Memories
(The unknown
bureaucrat)

58. Structured Educational Visit Schools/Institutes
& Training Seminar in Iceland (March 2017)
Memories (The long and winding road)

59. Memories (new friends)

60. Structured Educational Visit Schools/Institutes
& Training Seminar in Iceland (March 2017)
Memories (new friends)

61. Structured Educational Visit Schools/Institutes
& Training Seminar in Iceland (March 2017)
Memories (new friends)

62. Structured Educational Visit Schools/Institutes
& Training Seminar in Iceland (March 2017)
Thank you for your attention
Available at:
https://www.slideshare.net/Vafiadis/icelandic-educational-system