The Directorate of Education and School Services is in operation

The Directorate of Education and School Services is now in operation, and will play a key role in promoting the education system and implementing the government’s education policy. The Directorate’s main objective is to provide services and support to the school community as a whole. The Directorate will be a knowledge center and a professional leader in the quality of education and the well-being of children in Iceland’s schools. The Directorate will support, promote and coordinate education and school services throughout the country, provide students with quality educational material, develop methods for assessing students’ status and progress, as well as build and maintain methods and resources for schools to support school work.

Support for the Icelandic school system

“Introduction of an education policy is a huge task and it is quite clear that the school community needs to have a strong backing. This is the task of everyone involved in the education system,” says Þórdís Jóna Sigurðardóttir, director of the Directorate of Education and School Services. “Our role in all this is to support and service the school community in all possible ways, for example in terms of knowledge, advice, learning materials and assessment of students’ status, skills and progress. We want to be the backing for school work in Iceland, the pillars to which it will be possible to lean,” says Þórdís Jóna, adding that the responsibility is great: “The school community is eager to meet every child. Every child is unique and all have the right to an approach to their abilities, which is what an inclusive approach to the school system is all about. To allow teachers and school staff to follow through on this, more support is needed, both for assessment tools to be appropriate and for resources to follow up on the results of assessments. All school work revolves around the child and we believe that with increased support, advice and more diverse tools, we can better support school staff in the important task of creating an environment where all children have the opportunity to enjoy themselves and flourish.”

Optimism for the future

At the same time as the Directorate of Education and School Services opens the Directorate of Educations has been closed its doors. Many of its projects are transferred to the Directorate of Education and School Services, such as the publication of educational data and work on evaluation processes. In addition, for the first time in Iceland, an institution will be created to support school services. Emphasis will be placed on the dissemination of evidence-based methods in school work in the spirit of inclusive education, where respect is respected for the diverse needs and strengths of students.

These projects are a prerequisite to be able to meet each child's needs so they and flourish on their own terms. This is the case whether children need more challenging educational material or other forms of support. Other projects, such as international collaboration projects, are being transferred to the Ministry of Education and Children. Þórdís Jóna says that the new centre opens its doors with optimism as its weapon: “We are very excited about the upcoming projects and look forward to the important tasks we have been assigned. There are role models to compare to institutions throughout the western world, units that service the school system by utilizing the knowledge and experience of staff on a broad base. We intend to be this entity for school work in Iceland, thus contributing to outstanding education and the success of children and young people throughout the country.”