Arts and Cultural Education in Iceland : Professor Anne Bamford

1.10 Compulsory Schools
‣ Almost all compulsory schools have specialist visual arts, textile and woodwork
teachers and facilities with the majority of schools having specialist music teachers
and some dance and drama.
In most schools, children get specialist lessons in arts and cultural education as a compulsory
part of education from grades 2-8. While the way this is done can vary from one school to the
next, the general picture includes specialist lessons in art (fine arts, drawing, painting etc); wood
and metal work; textiles and sewing; cooking; and computers.
Additionally the majority of schools have specialist music lessons and some also have
specialist dance lessons (though these are generally in a ‘block’ rather than spread throughout
the year. In the majority of cases, these lessons are taught by specialist trained teachers in
especially equipped, studio style classrooms. In most cases, classes are split. So for example, half
the class might go to cooking, while the other half goes to wood work. After half the school year
(usually around Christmas) the classes swap and experience the other arts form. Lessons are
usually once a week for each art form and tend to be 2x40 minute lessons per week.
A shortage of music and dance teachers means that these are less common in school than
the other art forms. To counteract this, a number of schools have outside providers who come in
to offer music and dance lessons, including percussion lessons. These may be private artists or
practitioners or might come from the music school. The teachers from the music school are
more likely to come to younger children (who are too young to start after school music school)
than to fill any ‘gaps’ in music education in the older classes. Most schools also get some other
‘supplementary’ arts professional during the year. For example, one school employed a Director
to work with pupils in year 8-10 to produce the annual school play.
1.11 Upper secondary schools
‣ Pupils in secondary school have a wide choice of electives.
‣ Pupil generated arts and cultural activities are popular and can attract additional
credit points.
Upper secondary schools are not compulsory, but everyone to the age of 18 has the right to
upper secondary education. The typical course length is four years, for students aged between
16 and 20, though students of any age can attend. Secondary schools (gymnasia) are divided into
four types:
grammar schools—offering four-year long programmes of study, ending with
matriculation exams;
vocational schools—theoretical and practical courses in various trades;
comprehensive schools—offering a mixture of courses, has qualities of both a grammar
school and an industrial-vocational institution, in addition to specialised vocational
programmes;
specialised vocational schools—programmes of study for specific trades and careers.
Several secondary schools in Iceland have an art specialism or arts options. The following
vignette is one such example:
Vignette 1.11.1 We are very proud of this department
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