The pupils start at school in an age of 5 or 6

The first class is kindergarten class

1st - 9th class

Finish school with an exam in most of the subjects.

Going to school in these 10 years is compulsory

After 9th class they choose 10th class, gymnasium (college) or vocational school.

Subjects

1st - 9th  Danish, Math and PE

1st - 9th Religion except 7th

1st - 5th Artclass

1st - 6th Music and Science and Technology

3rd - 9th English and History

4th - 9th Needlework, Woodwork and Home Economics (compulsory till 7th class)

7th - 9th German, Geography, Physics and Chemistry, Biology, and Social Studies

Other Subjects

Health Education

Road Safety

Sex Guidance

Education and Career Guidance

Work Experience

Information and Technology

The Danish School Law

Part one:

The Danish Public School shall in cooperation with the parents give the students skills that prepare them for a greater education, make them want to learn, make them confident with Danish culture and history, give them an understanding of other countries and cultures, contribute to their understanding of the human interaction with nature and improve the individual student's all-round development.

The Danish School Law

Part two:

The Public School shall evolve working methods and create settings for experience, absorption, and active minds, so the students will develop realization and imagination and have trust in their own possibilities in being able to take a stand and to take action.

The Danish School Law

Part three:

The Danish Public School must prepare the students to participation, coresponsibility, rights and obligations in a society with freedom and a representative government. The school's education must be influenced by intellectual  liberty, equality and democracy.

Keywords

Democracy

Being able to take a stand

Being able to take action

Being able to lead and to make decisions

Critical thinking

Take care of others

Learn from each other and work together

Use your strengths

Pedagogy

Danish students are heard and we want their opinion.

They participate in making decisions regarding their own learning.

Freedom with obligations

We discuss a lot of topics

We are casual and enjoy speaking with our students.

Students have school as their second home.

We focus on all of the student also what they do after school

Early School Leaving

Is not a big problem in Denmark

Girls:

2008 = 86% took an education

2011 = 92 %

2015 = 95 % is our goal

Boys:

2008 = 78 % took an education

2011 = 88 %

2015 = 90 % is our goal

The Project Goal DK

We want to make it desirable to take an education

In Denmark you are paid to go to school when you finish public school – public support.

Live at home: 167 - 375 euro per month

Appartment: 484 - 775 euro per month

But we still have some students, who don't want to take an education. Who are they???

The Early School Leavers in DK

Students with disadvantaged backgrounds.

Students who achieve poorly in school

Sudents who have social difficulties

Students who often have moved from their home and had to change school several times.

In common:

they don't like school and education.

The Surveys

Do you like to go to school? 93,5 % yes

Do you like to do homework? 15,2 % yes

Do you like to learn? 97,1 % yes

Favorite subjects: PE, Home Economics, English and History

Least favorite subjects: Math, Biology and German.

Would you like a higher education? 89,1 % yes

 What encourage you to go to schoo? friends and sport.

Continued

What makes you not want to come to school?

Homework and tests

Would you ever drop out? 97,1% no

Have you ever been excluded from class?

60,9 % yes

Why do you skip school? I don't like the teacher

Why don't you like the teacher? If the teacher screams at the students or is very strict

If you didn't HAVE to go to school, would you?

13,8 % said no and would rather work.

Continued

How do you feel in school?

Happy: 81,9 %, Satisfied 65,9%, Sad 2,9 %

Lonely: 5,8 %, Confident: 20,3 %, Bored 27,5 %

Stressed: 9,4 %

What can school do?

- less/no homework

- happier teachers

- more exiting lessons

Priority Areas

The teachers need to think about what signals they are sending (attitude)

Consider whether homework is working for you or against you.

We have to keep focus on the social issues in class. It is Alpha Omega that the class is working and that all the students have friends.

Teach in different ways – variety is the keyword

Take better care of the students with special needs.

The teachers need to be there for the students who have problems in their families in a personal way.

Early contact to social workers if necessary.