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