Students at Víðistaðaskóli establish our education system
The association Our Education System was founded by Year 10 pupils at Víðistaðaskóli in November 2020, and the group behind it wishes to highlight and actively participate in the conversation about how to update and improve the Icelandic education system in line with modern times, needs and challenges.
The association Our Education System was founded by Year 10 pupils at Víðistaðaskóli in November 2020, and the group behind it wishes to highlight and actively participate in the conversation about how to update and improve the Icelandic education system in line with modern times, needs and challenges. The students base their ideas on their own experience in primary school, the experiences of friends and acquaintances, and are calling for more comprehensive education that includes useful topics such as job seeking, global issues, and health education. The group recently met at Hafnarfjörður Town Hall and gave a presentation to the mayor, the education manager and the chairman of the education committee. The students are on a working group that is currently developing a new education strategy for the municipality of Hafnarfjörður.
The group presented their ideas to the mayor, the education director and the chairman of the education committee at Hafnarfjörður Town Hall.
Education and dialogue that addresses the challenges of our time
The association recently launched a website that outlines the ideas the group has already put forward. The ideas specifically address factors and issues related to contemporary challenges, aiming to better equip students with the skills to tackle daily life and to foster their engagement with challenges in a wider context. The group places a special emphasis on global issues, including climate change, violence, human trafficking and homelessness. The group wants more education about diseases, disabilities and mental illness and is convinced that such education would reduce prejudice and bullying. This would lead to a better and greater understanding that people are different. The group also calls for more first aid training and information on where to seek help, or how to help friends and acquaintances if they are experiencing distress. In their opinion, school is an excellent platform for diverse and important education about daily life and the challenges of modern times. They specifically state that the education at Víðistaðaskóli is diverse and very good, but that it is always possible to do even better. They wish to ensure greater consistency in education and community teaching across all schools because, although schools in Hafnarfjörður place a strong emphasis on prevention, for example, this is not the case everywhere.
Our Education System's proposals for changes:
- SEX EDUCATION – to strengthen sex education
- QUEER EDUCATION – ensure that queer education is included in the curriculum of all primary schools (as well as ensuring queer education in teacher training).
- COMPUTER EDUCATION – computer education at secondary school level should be expanded and strengthened.
- SWIMMING – it would be possible to take a placement test in school swimming at secondary school level; if a student achieves a good result, they will be allowed to choose an alternative form of exercise to school swimming.
- MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION – education on mental health must be ensured.
- HEALTH SCIENCES – health education must be ensured
- Financial literacy – increase and strengthen financial literacy
- JOB TRAINING – improve and expand job training
- GLOBAL ISSUES – education about global issues must be kept up to date with the world
- PREVENTATIVE EDUCATION – to increase and strengthen preventative education