Learning from Denmark. - Page 9 |
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7 LESSONS LEARNED Findings from the Denmark School System The choice of any of the variations represents a form of “ tracking” ( called “ streaming” in Denmark) based on student interests and preferences; however, all three of the gymnasium programs allow choices of a broad range of higher education programs and universities and other types of higher education institutions upon completion. • Vocational Education: The various vocational programs offered as high school choices are of differing duration – mostly three, four or five years in length. They typically are a combination of school- based instruction ( both traditional classroom instruction and school workshops) and practical training in company- based apprenticeship programs. It is important to note that all vocational programs require company- based training and work experiences. In most vocational programs, the practical training is the major component. These programs cover a wide range of professions in technical areas, business, administration, health services and much more. Students attending vocational programs differ in age. Many students enter the vocational programs upon conclusion of 9th or 10th grade; others enter the programs later in life. The vocational programs are offered at business colleges, technical colleges, social and health care colleges, agriculture colleges and hotel/ restaurant colleges. Many of these institutions offer a mix of both vocational programs and an additional two-year higher education program leading to the equivalent of an Associate Degree in a North Carolina community college. In Denmark the term “ college” is used for both universities and higher education institutions as well as youth education programs – what Americans would call high school programs. To avoid confusion in this report, the term “ high school program” will be used to describe any of the programs available to Danish students after grades nine or ten. To look more closely at the array of options available, for students who are determined to move directly from their high school years to college or university programs, the choice is simple – they attend gymnasiums that very much resemble the traditional high school programs for college bound young people in North Carolina. Students with other goals, however, have an array of choices available. A student interested in a technical field like drafting or engineering can opt for a vocational “ sandwich program” that would have them attend part of a school year in a traditional high school for coursework in areas like mathematics and foreign languages. The rest of the school year is spent in a business or work setting, gaining real experience as an apprentice in their chosen field. For students in technical areas like this, their high school experience, coupled with their practical or hands- on experience, would earn them certification leading to employment at the end of high school. They might, however, opt to go on to college at the end of their high school program and round out their practical learning with additional coursework in an area like engineering. Still other students choose a shorter high school experience preparing them for less demanding positions or jobs. However, if at a later date they change their mind they can go in a different direction and return to a different high school program. FINDING ONE An array of choices is available. Over and over during both the advance briefings of the North Carolina delegation that visited Denmark and, once in Denmark in briefings with Danish officials, the schematic chart on page eight was used to describe Denmark’s series of choices available to high school students. To most of the North Carolina delegation, the number of choices illustrated on the chart was unfathomable until the delegation had the opportunity to visit and see the different types of program offerings for high school students. Each of the choices offers distinctly different programs. Each has distinctly different goals and outcomes. Each gives students a clear pathway to different jobs and choices as adults. In Denmark the term “ youth education” is used as a general phrase for the different types of programs building on top of the basic, required nine to ten years of education. There are two major types of programs: • Gymnasium: The gymnasium is a three- year program preparing students normally 17- 20 years old for higher education. It comes in three different variations. a) The general gymnasium is offered at high schools specializing in sciences, languages and humanities. b) The business gymnasium is offered at the business colleges specializing in economics, business and languages. c) The technical gymnasium is offered at technical colleges specializing in technical and natural sciences. ( from left to right) participants ( clockwise from bottom left) Houston, Dornan, Orrange, Norris, Frankowski, Plexico and Jenkins dining at the Parliament; students working on a project together in a school lab; Legislators Yongue, Preston and Dorsett meeting at the Parliament building
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Title | Learning from Denmark. - Page 9 |
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Full Text | 7 LESSONS LEARNED Findings from the Denmark School System The choice of any of the variations represents a form of “ tracking” ( called “ streaming” in Denmark) based on student interests and preferences; however, all three of the gymnasium programs allow choices of a broad range of higher education programs and universities and other types of higher education institutions upon completion. • Vocational Education: The various vocational programs offered as high school choices are of differing duration – mostly three, four or five years in length. They typically are a combination of school- based instruction ( both traditional classroom instruction and school workshops) and practical training in company- based apprenticeship programs. It is important to note that all vocational programs require company- based training and work experiences. In most vocational programs, the practical training is the major component. These programs cover a wide range of professions in technical areas, business, administration, health services and much more. Students attending vocational programs differ in age. Many students enter the vocational programs upon conclusion of 9th or 10th grade; others enter the programs later in life. The vocational programs are offered at business colleges, technical colleges, social and health care colleges, agriculture colleges and hotel/ restaurant colleges. Many of these institutions offer a mix of both vocational programs and an additional two-year higher education program leading to the equivalent of an Associate Degree in a North Carolina community college. In Denmark the term “ college” is used for both universities and higher education institutions as well as youth education programs – what Americans would call high school programs. To avoid confusion in this report, the term “ high school program” will be used to describe any of the programs available to Danish students after grades nine or ten. To look more closely at the array of options available, for students who are determined to move directly from their high school years to college or university programs, the choice is simple – they attend gymnasiums that very much resemble the traditional high school programs for college bound young people in North Carolina. Students with other goals, however, have an array of choices available. A student interested in a technical field like drafting or engineering can opt for a vocational “ sandwich program” that would have them attend part of a school year in a traditional high school for coursework in areas like mathematics and foreign languages. The rest of the school year is spent in a business or work setting, gaining real experience as an apprentice in their chosen field. For students in technical areas like this, their high school experience, coupled with their practical or hands- on experience, would earn them certification leading to employment at the end of high school. They might, however, opt to go on to college at the end of their high school program and round out their practical learning with additional coursework in an area like engineering. Still other students choose a shorter high school experience preparing them for less demanding positions or jobs. However, if at a later date they change their mind they can go in a different direction and return to a different high school program. FINDING ONE An array of choices is available. Over and over during both the advance briefings of the North Carolina delegation that visited Denmark and, once in Denmark in briefings with Danish officials, the schematic chart on page eight was used to describe Denmark’s series of choices available to high school students. To most of the North Carolina delegation, the number of choices illustrated on the chart was unfathomable until the delegation had the opportunity to visit and see the different types of program offerings for high school students. Each of the choices offers distinctly different programs. Each has distinctly different goals and outcomes. Each gives students a clear pathway to different jobs and choices as adults. In Denmark the term “ youth education” is used as a general phrase for the different types of programs building on top of the basic, required nine to ten years of education. There are two major types of programs: • Gymnasium: The gymnasium is a three- year program preparing students normally 17- 20 years old for higher education. It comes in three different variations. a) The general gymnasium is offered at high schools specializing in sciences, languages and humanities. b) The business gymnasium is offered at the business colleges specializing in economics, business and languages. c) The technical gymnasium is offered at technical colleges specializing in technical and natural sciences. ( from left to right) participants ( clockwise from bottom left) Houston, Dornan, Orrange, Norris, Frankowski, Plexico and Jenkins dining at the Parliament; students working on a project together in a school lab; Legislators Yongue, Preston and Dorsett meeting at the Parliament building |