Iceland Education Sysytem
Education in Iceland is a very big priority. In fact it is one of the few OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries that invests most of its GDP in its education system and emphasizes equity and inclusion for all of its students. Iceland invests about $28.5 billion on its educational system. Iceland’s educational system is composed of four parts of schooling. The first part of schooling being pre-primary which encases children up to six years old; this component of the educational system being optional. The second being compulsory school which includes ages six to sixteen. The third educational system in Iceland upper-secondary which includes ages sixteen to twenty. The last educational system is called the higher educational level which is the equivalent of college in the United States (Education). When it comes to following the three UN priorities: put every child in school, improve the quality of learning, and foster global citizenship, Iceland can be seen as successful.
When it comes to the UN first priority, put every child in school (Priorities). Iceland is very successful in this area because first it is mandatory for children ages six to sixteen to go to school. Iceland has close to 42,320 students aged six to sixteen attending school as of 2014. For upper secondary schools the amount of people attending is 25,292. The percentage of school enrollment based on primary gross income is at 98% (Iceland). Upper secondary education is essentially free however students do have to pay registration fees and for books. Higher education is also free but charge registration fees however private institutions charge tuition (The Educational). While these numbers, statistics, and the fact that the highest level institutions cost significantly less than most countries, Iceland has a high drop out of students in higher education. While the main causes have been noted as the fact that Iceland’s education system prepares its students so well for further school but they do not have many vocational or specialized classes (TOWARDS). However to combat this Iceland has added more specialized classes in order to interest more students into continuing on with their education.
For the second UN priority—improve the quality of learning— Iceland has made many strides to improve their already successful quality of learning (Priorities). One of the changes Iceland has made is adding two years to the minimum teacher education requirements. Iceland has also changed the legal recognition of the status of pre-primary school educators as teachers (Country). This is because before they were not entirely considered educators because pre-primary school is optional and included such young ages. Now they are able to better ready the children they teach to move on to the next component of schooling. Overall Iceland’s literacy rate is 99% with both male and female percentages also at 99% (Iceland Literacy). These statistics are evident of the good quality of teaching in Iceland. In the past decades Iceland has placed a large emphasis on instructive and educational research to lead to even more improvements in their education.
Lastly for the third UN priority, fostering global citizenship, Iceland has the United Nations University also known as UNU (Priorities). The fundamental goal for education in Iceland is equal access to education should be granted to all regardless of sex, economic status, area of residence, religion, physical handicap, cultural or social background (Stella). While this mission statement facilitates good education in Iceland, the United Nations University facilitates fostering this mission statement globally through research, capacity building and transfer of knowledge, particularly in developing countries. The UNN holds four training sessions: the UNU Geothermal Training Program, the UNU Fisheries Training Program, the UNU Land Restoration Program, and the UNU Gender Equality Studies and Training Program (STRATEGY). Overall Iceland is successful in following the UN priorities.
When it comes to the UN first priority, put every child in school (Priorities). Iceland is very successful in this area because first it is mandatory for children ages six to sixteen to go to school. Iceland has close to 42,320 students aged six to sixteen attending school as of 2014. For upper secondary schools the amount of people attending is 25,292. The percentage of school enrollment based on primary gross income is at 98% (Iceland). Upper secondary education is essentially free however students do have to pay registration fees and for books. Higher education is also free but charge registration fees however private institutions charge tuition (The Educational). While these numbers, statistics, and the fact that the highest level institutions cost significantly less than most countries, Iceland has a high drop out of students in higher education. While the main causes have been noted as the fact that Iceland’s education system prepares its students so well for further school but they do not have many vocational or specialized classes (TOWARDS). However to combat this Iceland has added more specialized classes in order to interest more students into continuing on with their education.
For the second UN priority—improve the quality of learning— Iceland has made many strides to improve their already successful quality of learning (Priorities). One of the changes Iceland has made is adding two years to the minimum teacher education requirements. Iceland has also changed the legal recognition of the status of pre-primary school educators as teachers (Country). This is because before they were not entirely considered educators because pre-primary school is optional and included such young ages. Now they are able to better ready the children they teach to move on to the next component of schooling. Overall Iceland’s literacy rate is 99% with both male and female percentages also at 99% (Iceland Literacy). These statistics are evident of the good quality of teaching in Iceland. In the past decades Iceland has placed a large emphasis on instructive and educational research to lead to even more improvements in their education.
Lastly for the third UN priority, fostering global citizenship, Iceland has the United Nations University also known as UNU (Priorities). The fundamental goal for education in Iceland is equal access to education should be granted to all regardless of sex, economic status, area of residence, religion, physical handicap, cultural or social background (Stella). While this mission statement facilitates good education in Iceland, the United Nations University facilitates fostering this mission statement globally through research, capacity building and transfer of knowledge, particularly in developing countries. The UNN holds four training sessions: the UNU Geothermal Training Program, the UNU Fisheries Training Program, the UNU Land Restoration Program, and the UNU Gender Equality Studies and Training Program (STRATEGY). Overall Iceland is successful in following the UN priorities.
This picture shows the Individuals who have not completed upper secondary education. Iceland has an issue for a high percentage of students who drop out in higher education. In order to combat this Iceland has added more vocational and specialized classes to help students work towards the career they want.
APA Citation: TOWARDS A STRATEGY TO PREVENT DROPOUT IN ICELAND. (2012). Retrieved October 27, 2015, from http://www.oecd.org/iceland/49451462.pdf |
APA Citations
Country Background Report Iceland. (2014, December 1). Retrieved October 27, 2015, from http://www.oecd.org/edu/school/Country Background Report Iceland.pdf
Education. (n.d.). Retrieved October 27, 2015, from http://eng.menntamalaraduneyti.is/education-in-iceland/Educational_system/
Iceland. (2015). Retrieved October 27, 2015, from http://data.worldbank.org/country/iceland
Iceland Literacy. (2015). Retrieved October 27, 2015, from http://www.indexmundi.com/iceland/literacy.html
Priorities. (n.d.). Retrieved October 27, 2015, from http://www.globaleducationfirst.org/priorities.html
STRATEGY FOR ICELAND’S DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION 2013-2016. (n.d.). Retrieved October 27, 2015, from http://www.mfa.is/media/throunarsamvinna/MFA-StrategyforIcelandsDevelopmentCooperation-2013-2016.pdf
Stella Blondal, K., Jónasson, J., & Tannhäuser, A. (n.d.). Icelandic Education. Retrieved October 27, 2015, from https://notendur.hi.is/jtj/greinar/Blondal Jonasson Tannhauser (2011) Dropout in a small society downl frá Springer.pdf
TOWARDS A STRATEGY TO PREVENT DROPOUT IN ICELAND. (2012). Retrieved October 27, 2015, from http://www.oecd.org/iceland/49451462.pdf
The Educational System in Iceland. (2002). Retrieved October 27, 2015, from http://eldri.reykjavik.is/Portaldata/1/Resources/Skola_og_fristundasvid/skjol/skolenska_1_.pdf
APA Citations:
Current government. (n.d.). Retrieved October 27, 2015, from http://www.government.is/government/
Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson – Prime minister of Iceland. (n.d.). Retrieved October 27, 2015, from http://heybehappy.com/eu.html/sigmundur_david/
Valdimarsson, O. (2011, February 20). Icelanders to Have Final Say on British, Dutch Depositor Debt. Retrieved October 27, 2015, from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2011-02-20/iceland-president-blocks-bill-guaranteeing-5-billion-u-k-dutch-deposits
Current government. (n.d.). Retrieved October 27, 2015, from http://www.government.is/government/
Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson – Prime minister of Iceland. (n.d.). Retrieved October 27, 2015, from http://heybehappy.com/eu.html/sigmundur_david/
Valdimarsson, O. (2011, February 20). Icelanders to Have Final Say on British, Dutch Depositor Debt. Retrieved October 27, 2015, from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2011-02-20/iceland-president-blocks-bill-guaranteeing-5-billion-u-k-dutch-deposits
Economic System
One main export of Iceland is raw aluminium (Iceland). Aluminium can be used to make many things. Aluminium can be used for packaging, cars, foil, pots, pans, tools, and cans. Almost every person in the world has some sort of interaction with aluminum whether it be on a daily basis with their car or every once in a while with an aluminium soda can. Much of the aluminium can be produced through Aluminum smelting and many other processes. First a machine must dig the bauxite from the ground, crush it up, dry it if it contains too much water, and purify it to leave only the aluminum oxide. Next electrolysis breaks down alumina into aluminum and C02. Lastly once the pure aluminium separated out it is cast into blocks known as ingots, which can be worked or shaped or used as a raw material for making aluminum alloys (Aluminium). This allows machines to make all of the tools and objects stated above. The five countries that receive most of Icelands' raw aluminium exports are the Netherlands at 56%, Germany at 28%, Poland at 4%, the Czech Republic at 2.5% and Switzerland at 1.9% (Export). In these countries this raw aluminium is created into other objects and then once again exported to other countries.
APA Citations:
Aluminum. (n.d.). Retrieved November 3, 2015, from http://www.explainthatstuff.com/aluminum.html
Export destinations of Raw Aluminium from Iceland (2013). (n.d.). Retrieved November 3, 2015, from http://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/visualize/tree_map/hs92/export/isl/show/7601/2013/
Iceland Data. (n.d.). Retrieved November 3, 2015, from http://data.worldbank.org/country/iceland#cp_fin
Iceland. (n.d.). Retrieved November 3, 2015, from http://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/country/isl/
Mixed Economic System Definition | Investopedia. (2010, February 28). Retrieved November 3, 2015, from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/mixed-economic-system.asp
Robert, Z. (2014, May 16). Thirty Thousand Below Poverty Line in Iceland. Retrieved November 3, 2015, from http://icelandreview.com/news/2014/05/16/thirty-thousand-below-poverty-line-iceland
Aluminum. (n.d.). Retrieved November 3, 2015, from http://www.explainthatstuff.com/aluminum.html
Export destinations of Raw Aluminium from Iceland (2013). (n.d.). Retrieved November 3, 2015, from http://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/visualize/tree_map/hs92/export/isl/show/7601/2013/
Iceland Data. (n.d.). Retrieved November 3, 2015, from http://data.worldbank.org/country/iceland#cp_fin
Iceland. (n.d.). Retrieved November 3, 2015, from http://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/country/isl/
Mixed Economic System Definition | Investopedia. (2010, February 28). Retrieved November 3, 2015, from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/mixed-economic-system.asp
Robert, Z. (2014, May 16). Thirty Thousand Below Poverty Line in Iceland. Retrieved November 3, 2015, from http://icelandreview.com/news/2014/05/16/thirty-thousand-below-poverty-line-iceland