AdultEd

Adult Education in Iceland

Abstract

Though adult education and training, both in the formal school system and outside, have played an important role in Iceland throughout the years, they were not included in the discussions on the development of education at a national level until very recently. One could say that adult education is an amalgam of two elements, on the one hand formal education, courses and curricula, and on the other informal education of various forms. The article briefly reviews the history of adult education in Iceland and its current environment.

 

Background History

Adults have long been offered the opportunity to take part in formal education and in courses outside the official school system, such as in folk high school, correspondence schools, in adult education classes and in other kinds of learning. Examples of this are the SÍS Correspondence School, later run jointly by SÍS (former joint association of Icelandic cooperatives) and ASÍ (Icelandic Confederation of Labour), which was extremely popular in the middle of the last century.  Reykjavík Adult Education Centre was founded in 1939, an initiative that was followed by other regions that introduced similar initiatives in the years that followed. But since the seventies this kind of education has increasingly become accommodated in the official school system. This applies both to the further and tertiary educational levels. The adult education departments in colleges of further education are the clearest example of such development, while at university level the variety of courses and work-related education available for adults that can be taken alongside work, has become wider, under the auspices of their lifelong learning initiatives.

Adults have long had access to a remarkable flora of informal education. Examples from this flora are reading circles, educational societies, public lectures and educational meetings. Public library development and a flourishing magazine publication market also had a significant influence on workers’ education in Iceland during the last century. But it was not only the print media that influenced adult education. The State Broadcasting Authority played a no less important role in the dissemination of education, with its radio broadcasts in the first half of the century, and TV broadcasts in the latter half, with e.g. language teaching. The function of the State Broadcasting Authority in workers’ education during this period was certainly no less than that of the function of the worldwide web in the development of the information society that took place in the last decade of the twentieth century.

If the development of the last century is examined more closely it can be seen that at the same time as a great variety of courses becomes incorporated into the formal school curricula, innovation is also flourishing in the offer of courses in the non-formal system. One can safely say that adults have never had access to such an abundance of choice of courses as they have today. One cannot assert that these courses will be assimilated into the formal school curricula, but experience does show a certain tendency in this direction. The information society calls increasingly for a higher level of skill among the work force, to meet demands for competitiveness. This will most probably result in lifelong learning to being the educational sector with the fastest development in the coming years and decades. One can expect this to result in the birth of new ideas for adult education. This could be the greatest change in education at the beginning of the 21st century.

In 1998 the Ministry of Education published a report on lifelong learning and on how to increase Icelanders’ participation in the process (Ministry of Education, 1998). This was the first official report to state that it was important to give a second chance of education to those who had not completed further education. Following the completion of salary negotiations with the trade unions, the Icelandic government announced on 13 December 2001 that they would cooperate with employees’ and employers’ representatives on improving education in the employment sector.  The Education and Training Service Centre for the Employment Sector ehf. (FA) was established in December 2002 by the Icelandic Federation of Labour (ASÍ) and the Confederation of Icelandic Employers (SA).  Operations started in mid 2003 with the formal opening on 21 November of the same year. The Education and Training Service Centre is owned by ASÍ and SA and operates according to a service contract with the Ministry of Education (The Education and Training Service Centre for the Employment Sector, 2003).

 

The Education and Training Service Centre for the Employment Sector (FA)

The service contract under which the FA operates says that it should assist the Ministry of Education in increasing education opportunities for people in the employment sector that have little formal education, and that it should work on evaluating the number of further education credits the courses on offer should carry. For this purpose, the FA has written many curricula, both to describe courses of study that are on offer and to create new courses. The curricula have been presented to a Ministry of Education assessment committee which will evaluate to what extent the courses can be used to shorten the duration of further education.  This is considered the most effective way to use time and money, both that of the individual and that coming from the public purse. FA should also develop methods to evaluate education and work, including assessment and documentation of real competence that people have gained through job experience, self-education et al. FA should also increase the quality of adult and vocational education, and should encourage adults to study.

It is fair to say that during the most recent years, adult education in Iceland has developed as a result of initiative from the employment sector. It will be critical for development in this field in the coming years that the employment sector can make its views heard. If one looks at adult education in Iceland and compares it with the situation in other Scandinavian countries, one can see that the involvement of the employment sector in management and development of this education is quite special, and the same can be said of the financing.  In Scandinavia, adult education is usually public funded, by the state and local government, but here it is more often than not both the employers and employees that take the initiative and fund it jointly with the individual beneficiaries. In Iceland, the most common scenario is one where participants pay 90-100% of the course fees, but they can apply to have a part of this reimbursed from the re-education fund they are affiliated to.

 

Legislation

Laws on adult education were set in 1992 (Laws on general adult education no. 47/1992) but they were repealed when the laws on further education were passed (Laws on further education no. 80/1996). In the years when the laws were in force, there was never any funding allocated in the budget which would have been needed to implement the laws on adult education and this could be one of the reasons why the laws were repealed. The laws from 1996 have three articles on adult education.  They empower further education institutions to run both evening schools and centres for continuing education that offer courses for adults. 

Laws on vocational training were passed in Parliament in the spring of 1992, where the aim was to strengthen the position of companies and employees in Iceland. At the same time the employees education fund was founded (Laws on vocational training no. 19/1992).

In 2002 laws relating to foreign nationals were passed (Laws on Foreign Nationals no. 96/2002) and regulations the following year, that provide for Icelandic language teaching for foreign nationals (Regulations on Foreign Nationals no. 53/2003). These laws state that those foreign nationals who request resident status in Iceland must complete at least 150 hours of Icelandic language studies before they will be granted resident status.

The National Statistical Institute of Iceland (Statistics Iceland) is responsible for collecting information about the schools system in Iceland. Through its web site one can see statistics about all school levels in the formal system, but nothing about other kinds of education, such as adult education, nor is there anything about lifelong learning centres nor about other parties that deal with adult education.

 

The Responsibility of the Ministries

In Iceland, adult education is the responsibility of many ministries. The Ministry of Education supervises all matters that relate to education.

The office for education prepares education policy and implementation and is responsible for general administration in education within the Ministry. The office deliberates on matters relating to all school levels, i.e. nursery school, junior and secondary school, further education and higher education. It also deals with continuing education and with the development of innovation in school operations, which includes distance learning and educational grants (Ministry of Education).

Nursery schools, junior and secondary schools are funded by local authorities while further education and higher education institutions are funded by central government. About 20% of further education colleges are privately run. Of the country’s eight universities, three are independent, but funded by grants from the State.

The Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for agricultural research and education (Laws on Education in Agriculture no. 57/1999). Two universities, at Hvanneyri and at Hólar (The Agricultural University of Iceland at Hvanneyri and Hólar University College) provide education in agriculture.  Both colleges run institutes of continuing education and offer a range of courses for adults in agriculture, horticulture, tourism, environmental studies and other subjects.

The Ministry of Fisheries is responsible for adult education in the fishing industry.

The Committee for Vocational Education In Fisheries is administered by the Ministry and its role is to organise training for staff in the fishing industry. The Committee holds a variety of courses, publishes teaching material and promotional brochures about the fishing industry and promotes increased quality awareness among fisheries staff in a number of ways (Ministry of Fisheries).

Worker’s education and education for the unemployed is the responsibility of the Ministry of Social Affairs. Laws were passed in the spring of 1992 regarding a vocational training fund:

The aim of the laws was to strengthen the position of staff and companies in Iceland, where the measures included payments from the vocational training fund. Prerequisites for achieving the aims of the legislation are that lifelong learning be encouraged in companies along with increased mobility and better quality of life for staff.

The Vocational Education Board is under the Ministry of Social Affairs. The Minister appoints a seven-member board for a term of two years in each instance.  There are two representatives from the SA-Confederation of Icelandic Employers, two from the Trade Unions Association, one from the Association of State and Local Government Employees and one who is the Minister’s representative.  The Ministry of Education has an observer at Board meetings representative (Directorate of Labour)

 

Those who implement adult education

 

Funds

Most occupations today have a vocational training fund. Agreements have been made with employers that they pay a percentage of salaries into this fund. Employees can either apply for repayment of course fees they have already paid in full or in part, or they can attend a course without paying, where their employer or trade union has received a grant to hold the course.

In the salaries negotiations in the year 2000, some of the largest unions agreed to establish dedicated vocational training funds. Starfsafl, Landsmennt, Sjómennt and Starfsmenntasjóður verslunar- og skrifstofufólks are examples of such funds. They cover a range of occupations, including office and shop staff to fisheries staff. The aim is to strengthen the education of unskilled workers. A new step was taken in this project during the salaries negotiations 2003-2004, when some organisations agreed to investigate the possibility of setting up individual fund accounts where credits for education would accumulate in the same way as pension rights accumulate, and pay for this by increases fund contributions.

 

Centres for Continuing Education

The first Centre for Continuing Education started operations in 1997. During the following years, eight more centres were founded, covering the whole country, but with the exception of the capital city area. In the latter area various adult education organisation have augmented their operations. They include Workers Education and Training Organisation, Mímir Lifelong Learning and Reykjavík Adult Education. Centres for Continuing Education vary in organisational structure but can be said to have common roots. They are supported by local government, by colleges of further education, by employees associations and by companies in a variety of ways. They have brought increased adult participation in education at all levels, at further and higher education level, but not least in custom made education (e.g. as seen in the curricula of the Education and Training Service Centre). With these developments the need for assessment of real skills has increased rapidly in recent years, both for the employment sector and for the purpose of granting further education credits for such skills.

 

Colleges of Further Education

There are 40 colleges of further education in Iceland. Of these there are nine specialised colleges, for ballet, visual art, art and domestic science. The others are general further education colleges, technical/trade colleges or comprehensives where students can choose between vocational or academic education. Some of the comprehensives are also vocational colleges. This type of vocational college (“core school”) normally has an area of specialisation, with equipment and premises for the trade in question, e.g. car mechanic, electrician or food and catering staff.

In schools there are normally two education routes for adults. On the one hand there are the mature student departments for those who wish to qualify for entry into university. Those who choose this can either attend classes in the evenings where they take the similar courses to those taken by students in the day school, or they can use distance learning.  The mature student departments differ from the day school in that the former have fewer teaching hours behind each course credit. The teaching is also targeted at the needs of adults and the adult learners have to pay more for the teaching – about one third of the cost. The other option open to adults is the continuous or re-education available at the lifelong learning centres run by the further education colleges, where course are offered in cooperation with trade associations, employees associations, employers and other parties. The further education colleges have to keep separate accounts for these activities, and costs are met either by the cooperating parties or by fees paid by participants. In other respects, further education is funded by the State.

 

Universities

There are eight universities in Iceland. Most of them have departments that are run as lifelong learning centres for adult education. Their offer can be roughly split into two categories: on the one hand a broad selection of courses in computer skills, languages, literature, design, art and on the other an offer of longer or shorter courses of study that lead to a diploma, e.g. in marketing and in project and staff management. Cooperation between the nine lifelong learning centres and the universities is growing steadily. In most cases the cooperation concerns formal education that leads to vocational qualifications, e.g. for nursery school teachers or nurses. 

 

Local Government Adult Education

The first evening school in Iceland, Reykjavík Adult Education, was founded in 1939. Initially they only offered hobby courses, but in the early seventies they began to offer vocational training courses for the unskilled, linked to the employment market. Later, special courses were offered for people with literacy problems. They have also offered courses for adults who want to complete the secondary school level, and courses in Icelandic for immigrants. Reorganisation of Reykjavík Adult Education operations began in the summer of 2005, but there is no information available on what changes will be implemented.  There are also evening schools in Reykjavík’s neighbouring boroughs, Kópavogur and Hafnarfjörður. Theses schools offer a variety of courses, both vocational and hobby courses.

 

Employees Associations and the Trade Union Movement

Most trade unions offer their members a range of continuous and re-education opportunities. It is done in various ways. Some run their own schools, like the School for Electrician and Electronic Studies which is owned by both the Iceland Electricians Trade Association and the Association of Employers in the Electrical and Computer Industries. Other employee associations have offered various courses in cooperation with parties such as colleges of further education and their lifelong learning centres, e.g. with Matvís which is the Icelandic Association for Food and Catering.

There is a long tradition in Iceland for the involvement of employee organisations in offering adult education. Initially it was limited to vocational education, but in more recent years the associations are buying training from others and are offering a wider choice in cooperation with parties such as Mímir Lifelong Learning and the Lifelong Learning Centres across the country.

Since 1969 the Workers Education and Training Association (MFA) has played an active role in adult education. The Workers Social School aimed at teaching association members skills like the art of public speaking and how to handle meetings and positions of responsibility in associations. It also aimed to help members strengthen their self-esteem and to help officers develop the maturity and skills needed to work for better quality of life for workers. The MFA also organised both long and short courses for the unemployed and unskilled and for folk high school teaching.  Some courses received official support.   Shortly after the turn of the century, MFA operations were split. The Workers Social School operations were moved to ASÍ (The Workers’ Association of Iceland) which now offers training for union representatives and a variety of courses that cover the basic rights and obligations of workers and employers. On 1 January 2003, Mímir Lifelong Learning was founded. This is a private limited company owned by ASÍ that provides adult and vocational education. Mímir Lifelong Learning offers a wide range of vocational courses and hobby courses. They also offer courses for the unemployed, for immigrants and for people with literacy problems.

 

Other Associations or Societies

Other associations, like ladies’ associations, youth associations and environmental associations also offer adults a variety of courses.

 

Private Schools

Then there is a number of private schools that offer adults a range of courses or offers of education that fulfil market demands. In very recent years the demand has been first and foremost for computer and language knowledge, and there is a plethora of courses supplying this demand. 

 

 References

The Education and Training Service Centre (2003). Service Contract - the Ministry of Education with ASÍ and SA    

Viewed 9.11.2005 at: www.fraedslumidstod.is/default.asp?Id=521.

Laws on general adult education no. 47/1992.

Laws on general agricultural education no. 57/1999 with amendments from 71/2004.

Laws on colleges of further education no. 80/1996.

Laws on vocational education in the employment sector no. 19/1992.

Laws on foreign nationals no. 96/2002.

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Viewed 9.11.2005 at: http://www.menntamalaraduneyti.is/malaflokkar/Menntun/.

The Ministry of Education (1998). Lifelong Learning, power in a new century Committee Findings on Lifelong Learning Reykjavík.

 Regulations on foreign nationals no. 53/2003.

The Ministry of Fisheries (e.d.). The Committee for Vocational Education in Fisheries Viewed 9.11.2005 at: http://sjavarutvegsraduneyti.is/starfsfraedslunefnd/almennt.

 

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