The Education System: Education in Denmark.

Overview & Synopsis

The first schools in Denmark were grammar schools run by the Roman Catholic Church until 1536 when the State took over the responsibility. The education system developed and expanded to include teacher training as well as folk high schools (folkeskole). At the end of the 1980s almost 17 percent of all schools providing primary and lower secondary education were run privately. The responsibility for the education system in Denmark rests with the State, the counties, the municipalities, and private individuals and institutions. The main features of the administration of the education system include Parliament, the Ministry of Education and Research, county councils, municipal councils, and individual educational institutions. Diagrams illustrate the educational system and the organization of the Ministry of Education and Research. Separate chapters present descriptions of each level in the Danish education system: (1) pre-school education; (2) primary and lower secondary education; (3) upper secondary education including general education and vocational education and training; (4) higher education; (5) teacher training; and (6) voluntary youth and adult education. After a description of the 13-point-marking-system used in primary and secondary education, an overview of student grants and loans shows how the State supports youth and higher education courses. Lists indicate three educational bodies with special tasks, the total number of educational institutions in 1987, and the educational courses and employment rates for 1988 and 1989. (CK)