Education in Iceland

The education system in Iceland has 4 main levels: playschool, compulsory, upper secondary and higher. Education is compulsory for children ages from 6 to 16. Generally, the institutions are financed by the state but the local government subsidized the primary and lower secondary schools. The 192 institutions provide mandatory education and 42 upper secondary schools. The private schools in the country are extremely few.

Playschool is not mandatory education for those 2 to 6 years of age. It is considered as the fundamental step in the learning system. Compulsory education consists of primary and lower secondary, students with ages 6 to 16. The school year lasts within 9 months, and starts between August 21 and September 1, closes within May 31 and June 10. The least possible number of school days is 180 and lessons occur five days a week.

Upper secondary level is not compulsory, although those who completed the compulsory education have the privilege to go in a course of studies. Students attending upper secondary are 16 to 20 years of age. Presently, there are 9 higher education institutions in the country and most of it is manage by the state. The academic year in higher education consists of 2 semesters: autumn and spring. The autumn semester usually begins on early September to late December. The spring semester is from early January and closes in May. The higher education institutions offered the following skills to the Icelandic: Diploma/Certificate (undergraduate), Bachelor degree (BA, BS, BEd etc.), Candidates degree (4-6 years), Postgraduate certificates, Masters degree (MA, MS etc.) and Doctorate degree.