EDUCATION IN ICELAND

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In Iceland, some kids begin school when they are born, pre-school can begin from 0-2 years! But a lot of parents send their children to pre-school from the age of 3. If  you want, you can send your child to pre-school just for one year, from the age of 5 to prepare them for school. It begins at the age of 6. Pre-school is not compulsory and parents have to pay a fee.

2. Compulsory Education

Compulsory education begins at the age of 6 and ends at 16 years of age. Primary and secondary education, known as Grunnskoli, generally takes place in the same school.

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The school year lasts for 9 months. It begins in late August or in early September and finishes at the end of May or the beginning of June. The minimum number of school days per year is 170-180. School is 5 days a week and pupils attend between 30-37 lessons every week. Lessons last 40 minutes.

4. The classes

There’s no limit to the number of pupils in each class. Pupils are grouped into classes by age. There is no streaming by ability, and children automatically move up from one grade to the next according to their age.

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The main subjects include Icelandic and Mathematics. Other compulsory subjects are: Arts and Crafts, Modern Languages, Social and Religious Studies, Physical Education, Natural Sciences, ICT (Information and Communication Technologies), Home Economics and Life Skills. Teachers choose their own teaching methods.

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At the end of the tenth and final year of compulsory education, pupils can choose to sit national examinations. You can take the examinations in Icelandic, Mathematics, English, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish, Natural Sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) and Social Sciences (for example, History). However, there are also compulsory national examinations in Icelandic and Mathematics which the students have to take in grades 4 and 7.

7. Private Schools

There are few private schools in Iceland and almost all private schools get some money from the government.