The Educational System

At all levels of education system in Iceland there is support and/or study programs designed to work with children who understand little or no Icelandic. Children and young adults who experience educational difficulties caused by a disability, social, mental, or emotional issues are entitled to additional study support.

The Icelandic education system has four main levels, pre-schools, primary schools, secondary schools, and universities.

The Ministry of Education and Children is responsible for the implementation of legislation pertaining to school levels from pre-primary and compulsory education through the upper secondary. This includes the tasks of creating curriculum guides for pre-primary, compulsory and upper secondary schools, issuing regulations and planning educational reforms.

The Ministry of Higher Education, Innovation and Science is responsible for higher education. Continuing and adult education falls under various ministries.

While pre-primary and compulsory education is the responsibility of municipalities, the state government is responsible for the operation of upper secondary schools and higher education institutions.

Although education in Iceland has traditionally been provided by the public sector, a certain number of private institutions are in operation today, primarily at the pre-primary, upper-secondary and higher education levels.

You can read more about this here.

In Iceland, everyone has equal access to education regardless of gender, residence, disability, financial situation, religion, cultural or economic background.

Most schools in Iceland are publicly funded. Some schools have prerequisites for admission and limited enrolment.

Universities, secondary schools, and continuing education schools offer different programs in various fields and professions, allowing students to take individual classes before committing to a long-term program.

Most universities and some secondary schools offer distance learning options, which is also true of continuing education schools and regional education and training service centres throughout the country. This supports increased accessibility to education for all.

The number of students with a native language other than Icelandic has increased significantly in the Icelandic school system in recent years.

Icelandic schools are continuously developing new methods for teaching Icelandic both as a native language and as a second language. All levels of education system in Iceland offer support and/or study programs for children who understand little or no Icelandic.

To find information about what programs are available, you need to contact the school your child attends (or will be attending in the future) directly, or contact the department of education in the municipality you reside in.

Móðurmál is a volunteer organization for multilingual learners who have offered instruction in over twenty languages (other than Icelandic) for multilingual children since 1994. Volunteer teachers and parents offer courses language and cultural instruction outside of traditional school hours. Languages offered and locations vary from year to year.

Tungumálatorg is also a good source of information for multilingual families.

Lesum saman is an educational project that benefits people and families that are learning Icelandic. It is supporting the long-term integration of students through a reading program.

“Lesum saman takes pride in being a solution that benefits not only students’ success and family well-being but also schools and Icelandic society as a whole.”

More information about the Lesum saman project can be found here.