Efterskole

The Efterskole ( directly translated after-school, on German and youth folk high school, training school or " Youth School " ) is a free school system in Denmark for young people between 14 and 18 years.

The retrained are targeted to youth counterpart of the folk high school (Danish: Folkehøjskole or Højskole ). However, the retrained are a Danish feature that is unknown in the other Scandinavian countries. In Denmark there are about 250 retrained, which are visited annually by about 25,000 students. The name of after-school based on the fact that at its inception in Denmark, there was a seven -year compulsory education and these schools offer a continuing education after the 8th grade.

Much like the folk high schools all retrained are free boarding schools, where the coexistence of the students plays a central role. The schools see it as their task to not only make education, but to work for the overall development of the individual student. Alternative teaching and creative subjects often play a greater role than in the public school system. The retrained offer a variety of views of life and trade offers, but most schools have sprung from the liberal tradition of the folk high school movement.

The schools are self-supporting, but in some cases associated with a general organization (eg, Christian, church, scouts or workers' organizations ). The schools are funded mainly through government grants and are supervised by the Ministry of Education.

History

The retrained arose in the 19th century from the circles of the Danish folk high school movement. Important people behind it were the pastor Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig and Kold Christian educator. Therefore, many independent schools and retrained " Grundtvig Kold'sch ," a term that indicates a commitment to liberal values ​​, free education, awareness and participation in the call democracy. The mediation Norse mythology, biblical history, national history and literature were also focal points of Grundtvigschen tradition, but these issues are now playing mostly a smaller role than in the past.

The schools were directed earlier especially to the rural population, with a small grant of "problem youth " from the big cities. At that time, was a focus of agricultural and household classes for boys and girls. Today, most are retrained in villages or rural areas, which is considered for the development of good fellowship among the students as favorable.

The first after-school was founded in 1851 in Ryslinge on Funen. After Schleswig had gone to Prussia in 1864, a number of retrained were built north of the new German - Danish border from 1874. These were set up as boarding schools to enable Danish Nordschleswigern a Danish school without having to cross the border daily.

1879 Galtrup Efterskole on the island of Mors was established in North Jutland, the oldest still existing after-school.

1930 the first law on retrained was adopted. Accordingly, the schools receive state subsidy, which students from wider circles allowed to attend after-school.

In the 1960s, the number of students fell into the retrained. It was therefore considered whether to leave the school form of the folk high school and to change the retrained in the direction of public elementary school ( with a fixed workload and tests). 1967, it was the retrained allowed to remove some publicly recognized examinations, and in 1975 the retrained may not offer all the tests of the elementary school. From this time the retrained left the informal tradition of the folk high school movement, but the particular way of life and the idea of "learning for life" lives on. The individual retrained try to balance between the traditional vision of the free schools, the demands of the Danish state and various educational ideas.

From 1975 to 2000, the number of retrained and their annual number of students doubled. In 1996, the law was tightened so that only free and independent retrained can receive government subsidies. Background was taking advantage of the previously very liberal legislation by the Tvind school empire that made walking in public grants to a community trust. The Tvind schools lost their state funding thereafter.

Since 2000, every after-school must describe their specific underlying assets and goals. A critical self - evaluation must take place at the end of each school year. These novelties are similar rules that were introduced in the rest of the school system and the public sector.

Education and everyday

Today the retrained by students from all segments of the population are visited. Pure boy or girls' schools are very rare. The range of products covers most of the general school subjects, often with extended possibilities for creative subjects such as art, drama or sport.

An increasing number of retrained targeted at students with special interests such as Outdoor sports, gymnastics, environmental studies, music, sailing, fishing, agriculture, languages, chess, role play, film, or computer. Similar to the case of the folk high schools this profiling is often a need to adapt to the interests of young people. Accordingly, some were retrained high quality.

Some schools are aimed at dyslexic, blind, learning disabled or other function inhibited, while these groups of pupils to other schools integrated be included among other students. A very small part of the retrained puts the emphasis on theoretical subjects with an instructional program that is a bit " conservative " than the Danish folk school.

The average after-school houses 85 students. The students participate in domestic tasks such as Kitchen duties and cleaning part. On the weekends you can either stay on the school ( often a leisure program organized ) or go home to parents. However, many schools have certain duty weekends, where all students are present. Excursions and trips are part of the annual program of most retrained.

In the matter of discipline retrained are quite different. Most retrained follow relatively liberal principles of " freedom under responsibility". The need to pre-defined rules, daily diagrams, reading and rest hours varied. Alcohol, drugs (and often smoking) are mostly strictly prohibited. Active participation in the classroom and in social life is required.

Often, the day begins with a morning collection where songs from the Folkehøjskolens Sangbog ( songbook of folk high schools ) are sung. Optionally about social events informed (on some schools, radio messages are played and then discussed ). School matters can be discussed, some of it has its weekly plenary. In Christian schools, there are also prayers.

The teachers, like teacher of folk high schools, different backgrounds from the general teacher training, academic background to the occupation reaching. Most of the teachers live (or part of them) on the after-school or in the immediate vicinity.

While some schools are limited to one school year, others offer lessons 8 to 10 (possibly 11 ) class. Most students stay for only one year at the school.

Youth schools

Some retrained call themselves traditional Ungdomsskole ( " Youth School " ), but not different from the rest retrained. However, this term may also refer to municipal recreation education for 14 - to -18- year-old.

Notes and checks

While the absence of grades and tests was heart thing for the free schools once, most retrained have long adapted in this respect the public school system. But the question is not without controversy.

The vast majority of schools offer the completion of the ninth or tenth grade level of the Danish folk school ( Folkeskolen ) so that the stay is completely integrated in the rest of the school system.

A small minority of retrained strictly adhere to the tradition of the folk high school movement after free tuition, the "living word" and the development of the " whole person " with tests are incompatible. These schools offer accordingly on any exams. However, students can take around and get a degree as desired the tests at a different school ( after-school, free or public school ).

Greenland students

The geography of Greenland limited school opportunities for many Greenlanders. About 200 students attend annually Greenland, a Danish after-school.

Economics

The parents pay for the stay. However, government grants can be obtained, which are dependent upon parental income. In some cases, the municipality of residence of the student also paid an additional allowance.

With a gross tuition of Kr 1600 ( € 215) per week, the lowest natural payment is Kr 640 ( € 86) per week ( with an annual income of parents under Kr 295,000 ( € 39,700 ) ). The highest self- payment in this case is 1123 kroner ( € 151) per week (with an annual income of parents of Kr 820,000 ( € 110,350 ) ).

Retrained the minorities in the German -Danish border region

Ladelund Ungdomsskole is an after-school following the Danish model, which is operated by the Danish Schools Association for South. The school was founded in 1982 and has since been on average 55 per year students who come mainly from the Danish schools in South Schleswig, but a year visit approximately five students from Denmark schools. Most students leave school -leaving certificate after Schleswig- holsteinischem curriculum.

North of the border, the German after-school Tingleff is operated by the German minority in South Jutland. The school was originally founded in 1905 as a folk high school, but has been operating since 1951 as after-school. Every year about 80 students, the school, half of which from Denmark and half come from Germany, and there is usually 1-2 students from third countries. A key offering of the school is the teaching of German in bilingual everyday.