Secondary School

The secondary school system is at a certain crossroads. A major challenge is to address the increasing number of students with a foreign cultural and linguistic background, greatly increased demand for vocational training, a more diverse group of students with various service needs, and a greatly increased number of students in vocational paths are tasks that need to be addressed. It is our responsibility to meet these challenges, we must be able to accommodate these groups and to do so, teachers and other secondary school staff must be given the space and tools to meet this new reality. The system must have the financial flexibility to address this, funding for the secondary school system should be secured in line with student needs and schools must be able to fulfil their statutory roles. We now have experience with reducing the length of study for the matriculation exam, we need to learn from that change, review the content of studies, review the entire school system from preschool through university, and break down barriers between stages. Educational offerings in local communities across the country need to be ensured, and the operational basis of smaller schools throughout the country must be secured, as these schools are often the heart of their communities.

• Framsókn wants a boarding facility in the capital area for secondary school students.

• Framsókn wants school services to be significantly strengthened in secondary schools and for schools to be able to reach students on their terms.

• Framsókn believes funding for secondary schools needs to be rethought based on the service needs of students.

• Framsókn wants to increase the number of tailored Icelandic courses in secondary schools and a significant increase in the publication of educational materials for students of secondary school age with a foreign cultural and linguistic background.

• Framsókn wants to focus more on fieldwork and internships.

• Framsókn wants, in the spirit of the wellbeing act, support to be increased and schools enabled to combat dropout rates from secondary schools. Framsókn also wants the environment, follow-up, and resources for children who leave education to be significantly enhanced.

• Framsókn wants facilities for vocational and apprenticeship training to be significantly strengthened to meet increased demand.

• Framsókn wants as many secondary schools as possible to offer vocational training programmes.