Denmark vs England: School Life
Since I moved to Denmark, there have been a lot of aspects of school life that really made me think: 'WHAT?!'
A lot of English friends ask me what is so different about education in DK compared to London, which inspired me to make this post!
Most of them in fact I like a lot, and I think make coming to school less stressful and more relaxing! I find the differences between going to secondary school in London and the last part of Danish Folkeskole and now Gymnasium different in some ways but familiar in others, so much so that I thought it would be a good idea to jot them down: these silly but significant changes are definitely worth knowing!
In Denmark we students:
1) Attend 'primary school' from the age of 6 to 15!
2) Are allowed to drink & eat whatever we please! Fizzy drinks, nuts, chocolate, there are no restrictions (as far as I know) on lunch choices. (During class too!)
3) Phones on the table during lessons is totally acceptable. (Apart from a certain class at school where my teacher is English - he isn't afraid to take them either!)
4) Detentions don't exist!
5) Note taking happens primarily on computers and NOT books (pencil and paper!) It's up to you what you choose, but assignments and homework are mostly all set and handed in online, on a website you gain access to when you join a school :)
6) Teachers never collect in school books and mark them, just assignments handed in on the internet or a hardcopy.
7) Whether you underline your title, write the date, draw margins in your maths book, it really doesn't matter at all! If you forget your book the teacher doesn't even notice and you just borrow some paper from a classmate, no '3 strikes' or anything like that.
8) You buy your own school equipment - the school doesn't provide any for you, except or subject-specific text books.
9) There isn't really a 'normal school timetable'. Each day school can end a different time (often between 2pm and 4pm) but sometimes it doesn't start until 11am, if you're lucky!
10) Teachers can just cancel lessons up to half an hour before they're due to start - free periods a lot of the time!
11) No uniform!
12) You can leave school at your leisure if you have a free period.
13) There are not really many after school activities in Danish schools, like sports clubs or art groups. Danes ARE really into their sports (badminton and handball) but you join these clubs separetly, and not as part of the school team.
14) This is probably the biggest different. You can call teachers by their first names, in fact it is VERY WEIRD if you don't! On the odd occasion I have called one of my teachers Sir or Miss out of habit, but if your teacher's name for example is 'Christina Larsen' you would address them as Christina, no questions asked!
I can't think of many more though I am sure I have missed a few. Most of these points apply to Gymnasiums in Denmark, sorry if I am wrong about some of these points (to all Danes reading this)! Overall, for me school life is relaxed and easy going but with the right amount of work - ie PERFECT!