Country information for Iceland - Legislation and policy

General information

The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture in Iceland is responsible for implementing legislation related to all school levels, from pre-primary and compulsory education, through to upper-secondary and higher education. It also includes continuing and adult education. The Ministry’s responsibilities include creating curriculum guides for pre-primary, compulsory and upper-secondary schools, issuing regulations and planning educational reforms. The Minister of Education, Science and Culture grants accreditation to higher education institutions (HEIs) that fulfil national and international criteria. The Quality Board for Icelandic Higher Education has issued a Quality Enhancement Framework (QEF). It includes elements on reviews at institutional and subject levels, as well as continuing and additional accreditation of HEIs.

While municipalities are responsible for pre-primary and compulsory education, central government is responsible for the operation of upper-secondary schools and HEIs. Education in Iceland has traditionally been provided by the public sector. However, a certain number of private institutions are in operation today, primarily at the pre-primary, upper-secondary and higher education levels.

Further information on the structure of Iceland’s education system is available.

Pre-primary school education (Leikskóli)

Pre-primary education is defined by law as the first level of the educational system, providing education and care for children who have not reached six years of age, at which point compulsory education begins (Pre-School Act No. 90/2008).

Compulsory education (Grunnskóli)

Compulsory education is organised in a single structure system, i.e. primary and lower-secondary education are part of the same school level, and generally take place in the same school. Legislation on compulsory education stipulates that education is mandatory between the ages of six and sixteen (Compulsory School Act No. 91/2008).

Upper-secondary education (Framhaldsskóli)

Upper-secondary education is not compulsory, but anyone who has completed compulsory education has the right to study at upper-secondary level until the age of 18. Pupils are usually between 16 and 20 years of age. General academic education is primarily organised as a three-year course leading to a matriculation examination. The length of the courses in vocational education varies, lasting from one semester to ten, but four-year courses are most prevalent (Upper-Secondary Education Act No. 92/2008).

Higher educational system (Háskólar)

The modern Icelandic system of higher education dates to the foundation of the University of Iceland in 1911. The legal framework covering higher education in Iceland is the Higher Education Act No. 63/2006. The act applies to institutions providing higher education leading to a degree, which have been accredited by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture. The Ministry also issued the National Qualification Framework for Iceland No. 80/2007. It is a systematic description of the structure of education and degrees awarded in higher education that is specifically based on learning outcomes. All accredited higher education institutes in Iceland must follow this framework.

The Minister of Education, Science and Culture grants accreditation to HEIs that fulfil the criteria laid down in national and international legislation. The Quality Board for Icelandic Higher Education issued a Quality Enhancement Framework (QEF) that includes reviews at institutional and subject levels and continuing and additional accreditation of HEIs.

There are currently seven HEIs in Iceland that fall under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture. They are governed by the Higher Education Act No. 63/2006.

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Inclusive education – Education for All

Inclusive education – Education for All – is the guiding policy for Iceland’s national education system from early years to the transition period. This means addressing and responding to all learners’ learning needs without treating or defining those in need of special support any differently from other learners. In accordance with this, the legislation for the four educational levels includes all learners. In short, Education for All means that:

  • All learners have equal opportunities to attend school and acquire education in accordance with their ability and needs.
  • Schools must attend to the abilities and needs of all learners.
  • Learners and/or their parents decide on which school they attend.
  • All learners have the right to the support and provision that they need.

In the school system, pre-primary is considered the first education level. A key element of the system is coherence from pre-primary level to upper-secondary school level. The school acts from 2008 strengthen this coherence for those educational levels, namely the Pre-School, Compulsory School, Upper-Secondary Education and Higher Education Acts. They are available in English:

In addition, several regulations have been issued that provide for various policy details. The Icelandic Government incorporated the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child (1992) into Icelandic law in 2013 and adopted the Salamanca Statement (1994) and the Dakar Declaration on Education for All (2000).

The Act on the Affairs of Disabled People, passed in 1992, stipulates that all individuals with disabilities (defined as intellectual disability, psychiatric illness, physical disability, blindness and/or deafness, as well as disabilities resulting from chronic illness and accidents) are to be enabled to live and function in the community. For this purpose, where the needs of a person with disabilities are not covered by general services within the fields of education, health and social services, special services, as detailed in the law, shall be provided.

Integration of all learners in mainstream education, as far as possible, is therefore the policy in Iceland. The general aims of the legislation on each school level apply to all learners, including those with disabilities and special needs.

In January 2011, the main responsibility for special services for people with disabilities was transferred from the state to the local municipalities. This was a step towards mainstreaming services for people with disabilities and integrating special services for people with disabilities with ordinary social services, which are the responsibility of the municipalities.

Laws on pre-primary, compulsory and upper-secondary school emphasise continuity in education. Therefore, when implementing specialist services, it is important to emphasise sound continuity, marked by systematic dissemination of information about the learners’ status and circumstances when they transfer from one school level to the next. Discontinuity in education when transferring is to be avoided. Attention must be paid to provisions of law concerning the exchange of information when transferring between school levels.

Curricula

The Education for All policy emphasises the National Curriculum Guides for Pre-School, Compulsory School and Upper-Secondary School. The Curriculum Guides ensure conformity of goals across all three levels of schooling. When drawing up the National Curriculum Guides, organising study and producing and selecting study materials, there were special efforts to ensure that the opportunities for study available to all learners were as equal as possible.

The objectives of study and instruction and the working practices of pre-primary, compulsory and upper-secondary schools are such as to prevent discrimination based on origin, gender, residence, class, religion or disability. All school activities take into account learners’ varied personalities, talents, abilities, interests and levels of maturity.

According to the Pre-School Act, Compulsory School Act and Upper-Secondary Education Act, each school is obliged to produce a working guide which is based on the National Curriculum Guides, but gives the school an opportunity to take its circumstances and special characteristics into account. The working guide is an administrative plan for each school. It accounts for the school year and includes an annual calendar, the organisation of teaching, the aims and content of the education offered, learner assessment procedures, and assessment of the work that goes on in the school, extra-curricular activities and other aspects of the school’s operation. This includes how it is going to meet learners’ special needs.

The National Curriculum Guide contains the framework and conditions for learning and teaching, based on the principles of existing laws, regulations and international conventions. Six fundamental pillars have been developed within this framework and they form the essence of the educational policy. They include the working methods, content and learning environment at each school level and form important continuity in the Icelandic education system. These pillars are literacy, sustainability, equality, creativity, health and welfare, and democracy and human rights.

The fundamental pillars of education are divided into six categories, which are interrelated and interdependent in education and school activities. They provide a clear overview of educational work and are based on the idea that active democracy cannot be achieved without literacy of society’s diverse symbolism and communication systems. They are also based on the idea that active democracy can only flourish if every form of equality between individuals and groups in society is simultaneously supported. Human rights can only be ensured by supporting individual health and welfare and by fighting discrimination and all forms of violence, including bullying.

Sustainability concerns the interplay of the environment, economy, society and welfare. It includes respect for the environment, a sense of responsibility, health, democratic working methods and justice, not only now but also for future generations. Therefore, it is unthinkable to support human rights without simultaneously espousing sustainability and balanced social development. Additionally, sustainability is dependent on the equality of social groups. Democracy and human rights and health and welfare are thus an integral part of sustainability and, at the same time, independent fundamental pillars of education.

The following curriculum guides are available in English:

Pre-primary education

According to the 2008 Pre-School Act, pre-primary age children who, because of a disability or emotional or social difficulties, need specialist assistance or training are provided with such support, according to certain rules, in their neighbourhood pre-school.

Children in pre-primary education have the right to specialist assistance, training and counselling services. Learners who, due to disabilities or emotional or social difficulties, need specialist assistance and training have the right to receive these in the pre-schools under the guidance of specialists. Pre-schools shall also be designed and run in such a way as to be able to cater for children with disabilities.

The pre-primary specialist services provide the children’s parents and the pre-primary staff with the necessary guidance and services in accordance with the further provisions of the regulations on the scope of the service. The pre-primary specialist service may be operated jointly with the compulsory school specialist service.

The National Curriculum Guides for pre-schools emphasise that pre-schools must show consideration for each individual child’s needs to ensure that they can reach their potential in a peer group on their own terms. Special consideration must be given to children with any kind of disability or who have emotional and/or social difficulties. The child needs to receive special assistance to compensate for the limitations that their disability imposes upon them. The same applies to children who are deaf or have a hearing impairment and to children who are blind or visually impaired. The National Curriculum also emphasises that pre-schools will help children from other cultures to become active participants in their new society without losing their connections with their own culture, language and faith.

Compulsory school education

The 2008 Compulsory School Act stipulates 10 years of compulsory schooling for children and adolescents between the ages of 6 and 16. The ideology is that the compulsory ‘basic school’ shall be inclusive, catering for special educational needs as well as learners’ other educational needs. Since 1 August 1996, local municipalities have run all compulsory schools, including special schools and units.

Children and adolescents who require special education because of specific learning difficulties or because they have emotional or social problems and/or disabilities have a right to special support in instruction in their studies. The main policy is that such instruction should take place in their local school. If a learner’s parents or guardians, teachers or other specialists feel that the learner is not receiving suitable instruction in their local school, the parents or guardians may apply for the learner to attend a special school. The instruction can be on a one-to-one basis or take place in a group within or outside the mainstream classroom, in special departments within schools or in special schools.

The National Curriculum Guides for compulsory schools emphasise instruction in the fields of information and technology. This includes, among other things, a special course on computer use, information technology, innovation and technology. Familiarity with computers and computer use are now considered important prerequisites for success in education and careers. Moreover, use of this new technology increases learner interest in studying and the possibilities for self-instruction. Computer technology can also be beneficial for groups who are weak in certain areas or who have difficulties. All learners now have the opportunity to achieve basic competency in using and handling computers, data acquisition, processing and presenting information, as well as experience in various skills, such as word processing.

Regulation on learners with special needs in compulsory schools

The regulation on learners with special needs in compulsory schools (number 585, from 2010), applies to learners who need special educational support in accordance with assessed needs. This regulation focuses on learner equality in education.

The regulation aims to ensure that learners:

  • have equal opportunities for both education and active participation in inclusive primary schools so their educational, physical, social and emotional needs are met;
  • receive diverse training suitable for a motivating learning environment and appropriate accommodation that takes into account their needs and status;
  • can develop their personality, talents and creativity, as well as mental and physical abilities and be socially active members of the school community, based on their strengths;
  • have equal opportunities in schools in accordance with the international conventions on the rights of children and people with disabilities.

This regulation is beneficial for learners with special needs. It ensures that they have the same rights to equal educational opportunities as other learners.

Regulation on municipality professional services to the local pre-primary and compulsory schools and on learner protection councils in primary schools

The regulation on municipality professional services to the local pre-primary and compulsory schools and on learner protection councils in primary schools (number 585, from 2010) focuses on professional services by the municipalities to support learners in pre-primary and compulsory schools and their parents and to support the schools’ activity and the staff.

The municipalities’ professional services aim to use pedagogical, psychological, developmental and sociological knowledge in schools.

Professional services should be aimed at promoting schools as professional organisations that can solve most of the challenges that arise in schools and provide the school staff with guidance and assistance to their work as appropriate.

Specialist services in compulsory schools

The Icelandic National Curriculum Guide for Compulsory Schools describes specialist services in compulsory schools.

The municipalities’ specialist services for compulsory schools aim to further compulsory schools as professional institutions which can solve most problems that occur in school activities and to give school staff appropriate guidance and assistance in their work. Specialist services involve support for school operations and school staff with the learners’ interests in mind. They also aim to support compulsory school learners and their parents. The specialist services provide pedagogical, psychological, developmental and sociological knowledge to the advantage of the schools. When implementing specialist services, municipalities should emphasise preventive measures in order to systematically enhance learners’ general welfare and avoid difficulties. Early evaluation of a learner’s status, followed by counselling, is an important response to educational, social or psychological difficulties so that it is subsequently possible to organise education and assistance in a manner appropriate for each learner and in co-operation with the inclusive school’s staff.

Specialist services are based on a comprehensive overview of the learner’s circumstances and interests, irrespective of the specialist’s profession. Thus, learner welfare should always be the determinant.

By means of counselling and education, the specialist services should support school activities and practice and school staff and parents in various ways. Appropriate interpretation services are necessary to ensure that information and counselling are of use to parents and learners; therefore, good access to such services is essential.

The municipalities are also obliged to offer education for children who are in hospital or are ill for a long period.

Upper-secondary school education

According to the Upper-Secondary Education Act of 2008, everyone is entitled to upper-secondary education. Learners with disabilities (as defined in the Act on the Affairs of Disabled People) are to be provided with instruction and special support in their studies. Specialist advice and suitable conditions must be ensured. In their studies, learners with disabilities are to follow the mainstream curriculum with other learners as far as possible. The law also provides for the possibility of establishing special units within upper-secondary schools for learners with disabilities.

The Upper-Secondary Education Act stipulates that deaf learners have the right to special instruction in Icelandic sign language.

A National Curriculum Guide for special units in upper-secondary schools was published in 2005. The special units have special curriculum guidelines to meet the needs of learners with disabilities. These units offer a four-year programme that has three different levels, depending on the needs of different learners.

Regulation on learners with special needs in upper-secondary schools

The regulation on learners with special needs in upper-secondary schools (number 230, from 2012) applies to learners at upper-secondary school level who are eligible for special educational support in accordance with assessed needs. The regulation applies to all learners who have been enrolled according to Article 32 of the Upper-Secondary Education Act 92/2008, regardless of whether the school is public or private.

The regulation aims to ensure that learners:

  • have equal opportunities for both education and active participation in inclusive primary schools so their educational, physical, social and emotional needs are met;
  • receive diverse training suitable for a motivating learning environment and appropriate accommodation that takes into account their needs and status;
  • can develop their personality, talents and creativity, as well as mental and physical abilities and be socially active members of the school community, based on their strengths;
  • are prepared by appropriate means to live independently and to participate in the job market and further education;
  • have equal opportunities in schools in accordance with the international agreement on the rights of children and people with disabilities.

This regulation is beneficial for learners with special needs. It ensures that they have the same rights to equal educational opportunities as other learners.

Further information about the regulation on learners with special needs in upper-secondary schools is available (in Icelandic).

Higher education

As with the other school levels, there is no law that deals with students with special needs or disabilities in higher education. There is, however, a regulation dealing with this at the University of Iceland (number 497/2002). At the university, students can apply for special study circumstances and special examination procedures, which the university provides through its counselling service.

Equal study opportunities

The 2011 National Curriculum Guide for Compulsory Schools states that, at compulsory school, all learners are entitled to appropriate education. Learners should have equal opportunities, regardless of their abilities or circumstances. Therefore, there must be special efforts to prevent discrimination on the basis of whether the learner is of Icelandic or foreign origin. Opportunities must not depend on whether learners are boys or girls, where they live, what class they belong to, their sexual orientation, their health, whether they have disabilities or other circumstances.

School curriculum guide

Under the Compulsory School Act, the staff members of each school are obliged to draft their own school curriculum guide and an operational plan. The head teacher is responsible for implementing these plans and designs them in consultation with teachers. The school curriculum guide is a more detailed version of the National Curriculum Guide, as regards objectives, content and assessment of studies, operational methods and evaluation and quality control of school activities. The school curriculum guide considers the compulsory school’s culture, characteristics and circumstances. It is revised regularly. The annual operational plan provides information on the school calendar, including the learners’ study schedule, school rules, support services, duration of the Christmas, Easter and other school holidays, extra-curricular and social activities and school activities each year. The school’s annual operational plan is submitted to the school board for approval, which confirms its entry into force, provided that it has been devised in accordance with the law, regulations, the National Curriculum Guide, collective bargaining agreements and local authorities’ decisions regarding school activities. The head teacher is responsible for implementing these provisions and for their discussion within the school and in the school council and for presenting the results of the operational plan to the school board. All parties within the school community have access to the operational plan and school curriculum guide.

Learners in all compulsory schools have the opportunity to participate in extra-curricular and social activities. Extra-curricular and social activities may be organised as part of daily school activities or outside normal school hours. The local authorities may also offer compulsory school learners extended stay, outside of daily teaching hours.

References

Act on the Affairs of Disabled People, Number 59/1992

Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, 2002. Education for All: Declaration adopted by the World Education Forum in Dakar, 2000. Iceland: Committee Report. Reykjavík: Ministry of Education, Science and Culture

Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, 2003. The National Curriculum Guide for Pre-Schools. Reykjavík: Ministry of Education, Science and Culture

Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, 2004. The Icelandic National Curriculum Guide for Compulsory Schools. General Section. Reykjavík: Ministry of Education, Science and Culture

Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, 2004. National Curriculum Guide for Compulsory School. Life Skills. Reykjavík: Ministry of Education, Science and Culture

Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, 2004. The Icelandic National Curriculum Guide for Upper-Secondary Schools. General Section. Reykjavík: Ministry of Education, Science and Culture

Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, 2004. The Icelandic National Curriculum Guide for Upper-Secondary Schools. Special Units. Reykjavík: Ministry of Education, Science and Culture

The Pre-School Act, Number 90/2008

The Upper-Secondary Education Act, Number 92/2008

The Icelandic National Curriculum Guide for Pre-Schools, 2012 (in English)

The Icelandic National Curriculum Guide for Compulsory Schools, 2013 (in English)

The Icelandic National Curriculum Guide for Upper-Secondary Schools, 2012 (in English)

The Compulsory School Act, Number 91/2008 (in English)

The regulation on the schooling of foster children in compulsory schools (in Icelandic)

The Upper-Secondary Education Act, Number 92/2008 (in English)

The regulation on learners with special needs in upper-secondary schools (in Icelandic)

Reykjavík’s policy on inclusive education, 2012 (in Icelandic)

 

Last updated 05/02/2020

 

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