Education Policy Outlook 2018

Iceland

Context

Iceland scored below the OECD average in science in PISA 2015, with a mean score of 473 points, compared to the OECD average of 493 points. Performance in science has declined across PISA cycles, with an average score change of -7 score points, while performance in reading and mathematics has also decreased. At the same time, socio‑economic status had the lowest impact in the OECD on science performance in PISA 2015, explaining 4.9% of the variance in performance (OECD average: 12.9%). The impact of ESCS on performance in science has not changed since 2006. Iceland’s performance gap between boys and girls in science was -3 points, compared to the average difference across the OECD of 4 points. Immigrant students make up 4.1% of the student population of 15-year-olds in Iceland, a lower proportion than the OECD average of 12.5%. Performance differences between immigrant and non-immigrant students are among the highest in the OECD. Immigrants scored on average 66 score points lower than non-immigrants in science in PISA 2015, compared to the OECD average of 31 score points.

Enrolment of 3-year-olds in ECEC was among the highest in the OECD in 2015, at 96.5% (OECD average: 77.8%). Children can attend preschool education (Leikskóli) as early as the age of 12 months and for up to five years. Education and care are seen as integrated in the national regulation of preschools (Leikskóli), and a national curriculum framework is in place that is delivered by qualified teachers and assistants (Icelandic national curriculum guide for preschool, 2011).

Compulsory education in Iceland begins at age 6 and ends at age 16, shorter than the typical duration across the OECD. Students are first tracked into different educational pathways at age 16, later than the OECD average of 14. Anyone who has completed compulsory education, has equivalent basic education, or is at least 16 years old, can enrol in upper secondary education. After completing compulsory education, students can choose between three streams: general academic programmes, vocational education and certified indentured trades. The streams last from three to five years. Students who have completed a general programme or a general programme building on vocational education take a matriculation examination and gain access to a higher education institution or a specialised tertiary-level institution.

Students who complete vocational programmes that include general education are awarded either a vocational certificate or a diploma of competences. With this, students can advance to programmes at the post-secondary-level or transition into the labour market. Students with a school certificate for a certified indentured trade can transition directly into the labour market or advance to a trade master's programme to become a master craftsperson.

Vocational programmes are the most diverse programmes in upper secondary education in Iceland. They can last from one to five years and are also provided in non-formal settings, such as adult education centres, evening schools and workplaces. They aim to prepare students for work or further study and can lead to professional qualifications. The proportion of the population aged 25-64 with lower secondary education as the highest level attained is among the highest in the OECD, with an attainment rate of 21.7% in 2016, compared to the OECD average of 14.3%. NEET rates (the proportion 18-24 year‑olds neither employed nor in education or training) are among the lowest in the OECD, at 5.2%, compared to the OECD average of 15.3%. The percentage of the population aged 25-34 with a tertiary-level qualification is close to the OECD average, at 43.3% in 2016, compared to the OECD average of 43.1%. Employment rates for 25-34 year-olds with tertiary education are relatively high. In 2016, 91.7% were employed, while the OECD average rate was 82.9%.

Figure 7.12. Selected indicators compared with the average: Iceland

Note: For each indicator, the absolute performance is standardised (normalised) using a normative score ranging from 0 to 220, where 100 was set at the average, taking into account all OECD countries with available data in each case.

Sources: OECD (2016), PISA 2015 Results (Volume I): Excellence and Equity in Education, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264266490-en; OECD (2016), Skills Matter: Further Results from the Survey of Adult Skills, OECD Publishing, Paris, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264258051-en; OECD (2017), Education at a Glance 2017: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/eag-2017-en.

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Evolution of key policy priorities

Table 7.12. Evolution of key education policy priorities, Iceland (2008-17)

Identified by	Equity and quality	Preparing students for the future
Selected OECD country-based work, 2008-171	The OECD identified the need for Iceland to increase the educational attainment rate of students. [2013]	Iceland faces challenges in delaying students’ school-to-work transition, according to OECD evidence, as dropout rates remain high in Iceland, where many students do not complete upper secondary education. The underlying reasons for this, as identified by the OECD, include the duration of studies, lack of relevant curricula, a schooling system that does not respond well enough to the needed skills, flaws in the VET system and the marginal wage differentials between high-skilled and low-skilled jobs. Those factors negatively impact overall labour market performance. [2012; 2015]
Evolution of responses to EPO Surveys, 2013 and 2016‑17	Although policy measures have been taken, Iceland continues to face challenges in improving literacy in compulsory education and particularly in raising literacy and educational attainment among immigrant students. Another challenge is to make its education system more inclusive from pre-primary to upper secondary level. [2013; 2016-17]	In 2016, the focus reported by Iceland remains on increasing the number of students taking part in VET and ensuring that the VET system responds to the requirements of industry and the labour market. The emphasis is now more on improving the quality and accessibility of VET and apprenticeships, rather than just increasing student numbers. [2013; 2016-17]

1. See Annex A, Table A A.3 for the list of OECD publications consulted for this snapshot.

Selected education policy responses

The National Qualifications Framework for all school levels in Iceland was adopted in 2016. As of 2018, the Directorate for Education is preparing a review of the national curriculum guidelines for compulsory education.

• Progress or impact: The 2016 analysis of the NQF in Iceland by the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) found that as of 2016 the framework had advanced to the “early operational stage”. All qualifications at upper secondary level, including general and vocational education, contain the NQF and European Qualifications Framework (EQF) levels. The different stakeholders from education, training and the labour market recognise the framework as a positive development. This can probably be explained by their close involvement during the development and ongoing reforms of the NQF. At the same time, the report stressed, among other points, that continuing engagement of stakeholders in the future is one of the main challenges and, thus, it is important to clarify their role in the implementation process. Also, the report recommends implementing a co-ordination committee to facilitate the exchange of information with stakeholders (CEDEFOP, 2017b).

Additional education policies of potential interest to other countries

• The National guidelines for pre-primary education, implemented in 2012, were among the new education guidelines put into place in Iceland between 2011 and 2013. At pre-primary level, for example, the National Curriculum Guide sets out the learning objectives for children at pre-primary schools and describes the core competencies and basic principles that should guide school activities: broad literacy, creative thought, equality, democracy and human rights, health and welfare, and sustainability (OECD, 2015a).

• A regulation for students with special needs in public and private upper secondary schools (No. 230/2012, based on Article 34 of the Upper Secondary Act, No. 92/2008), intends to ensure that all students have equal opportunities in education and that their educational, physical, social and emotional needs are met. It also aims to offer students with special education needs sufficient learning opportunities, mentoring and support in stimulating learning environments and adequate infrastructure. The overall System for Inclusive Education was reformed based on an external report of the European Agency of Special Needs, Evaluation of the implementation of inclusive education policy in Iceland (Úttekt á framkvæmd stefnu um menntun án aðgreiningar á Íslandi) (EASIE, 2017). As a follow up, multi-stakeholder co-operation was established, including the main education actors in education (EASIE, 2017).

• Iceland has taken steps in recent years to reduce dropout from upper secondary education. It released the White Paper on Education Reform (2014), which spells out two main goals for the Icelandic education system: to increase attainment in reading and to increase the rate of on-time graduation.

• As part of the National Curriculum Guidelines (2011), Iceland reformed upper secondary education by reducing the length of upper secondary schooling in 2014, allowing students to graduate a year earlier. Most upper secondary schools are now credit-based and allow students to organise their progression through their chosen programme. In addition, efforts to support all students entering secondary education to be suitably prepared seem to be helping to reduce dropout rates among vulnerable groups.

• In 2010, the Adult Education Act was introduced to provide those who have a short formal education or have dropped out of upper secondary schools with opportunities to increase their vocational skills and adult education that takes their competencies and work experience into account.

More information available at: www.oecd.org/education/policyoutlook.htm.