Homeschool Wiki for Denmark

The purpose of this page is to inform people about homeschooling in Denmark.

DISCLAIMER: any information provided here will (hopefully) be provided by someone who is homeschooling in Denmark. I do not exercise any control or oversight over what is said here or who says it, unless a problem is brought to my attention. Please see the Wiki Guidelines for more information.

This Wiki was last updated on 6:11 AM EDT, Saturday, August 7, 2010.

If the information here is inappropriate in some way (e.g. bad language or advertising), please let me know right away!

And, if you see any mistakes, or want to make any additions, please click the 'update' button below and make the appropriate changes. Yes, I mean you!

Hej Alle hjemmeundervisere i Danmark
Følg med på min hjemmeside www.hoslykkegaard.dk
Her er info omkring hjemmeundervisningen i Danmark -
ligesom der også er info om hvordan jeg selv har hjemmeundervist mine to sønner. Hjemmesiden opdateres løbene omkring undervisning generelt.

Homeschooling is quite a rare phenomenon in Denmark. Nationwide the official figures say there is around 200 children not registred in a public or private school.

Homeschooling law in DK: instruction is compulsory for 9 years, either in a public or private school OR by a person of the parents free choice. There will be a yearly test of the child to ensure that the official school programme is being followed.
This last thing makes it difficult to do anything else than school-at-home (unschooling for instance probably rather difficult, but we´ll have to see as we go, since there are no clear guidelines due to the rarity of HE)

To be updated.

Mette

2008, TO ADD TO WHAT METTE HAS SAID ABOVE:

HOMESCHOOLING IS STILL QUITE A RARE PHENOMENON IN DENMARK.

THOSE THAT TEND TO DO IT AND KEEP DOING IT APPEAR TO BE THE INTERNATIONAL FAMILIES WHO ARE LIVING IN DENMARK ON WORK CONTRACTS WHO WERE ALREADY HOMESCHOOLING BEFORE COMING HERE OR THOSE WHO WANT TO KEEP UP THEIR CHILDREN'S INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION RATHER THAN SUBMITTING THEM TO THE DANISH EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME WHICH IS BASED HEAVILY ON 'FULL INTEGRATION' (INSTITUTIONALISATION) INTO DANISH NORMAL SOCIETY.

THE OFFICIAL AGE THAT COMPULSORY EDUCATION IS REQUIRED TO BEGIN IN DENMARK IS AROUND 6 OR 7 YEARS OLD, LATE BY MANY COUNTRIES STANDARDS. BUT MOST IF NOT ALL PARENTS LIVING IN DENMARK PREFER TO PUT THEIR KIDS INTO DAYCARE FROM AN EARLY AGE. CHILDREN ARE FULLY INSTITUTIONALISED AT VERY EARLY AGES IN DENMARK AND THIS MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR PARENTS TO 'BREAK FREE' OF THIS FASHION OF FARMING KIDS OUT. IT IS RARE TO FIND FAMILES WITH ONLY ONE INCOME. BOTH PARENTS 'NEED' TO GO OUT TO WORK AND THE STANDARD OF LIVING IS VERY HIGH BECAUSE OF THIS. WELL, STANDARDS DIFFER, BUT THE MATERIAL WEALTH OF FAMILIES HERE IS HIGH.

MANY PARENTS IN DENMARK ARE UNHAPPY WITH THE FALLING STANDARDS AND BULLYING IN STATE SCHOOLS AND HAVE THEREFORE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THEIR RIGHT TO MAKE THEIR OWN ARRANGEMENTS FOR THEIR CHILDREN. HOMESCHOOLING IS ONE OPTION, BUT THERE ARE ALSO MANY SO CALLED 'FREE SCHOOLS' (FRI SKOLER) SPROUTING UP OVER DENMARK AND THESE ESCAPE THE LOCAL AUTHORITY TESTS BY HAVING PARENT COUNSELS WHO ARE ENTITLED BY LAW TO EMPLOY WHOM THEY WISH TO DO THE REQUIRED TESTING OF STANDARDS.

THE PROBLEM WITH HAVING THE LOCAL AUTHORITY BEING ALLOWED IN SOME WAY (ALTHOUGH A LOT OF THIS IS DOWN TO HOW THE INDIVIDUAL WILL INTERPRET THAT ALLOWANCE AND HOW FAR THEY WISH TO TAKE IT) TO JUDGE AND 'TEST' HOME EDUCATED/HOMESCHOOLED CHILDREN IS THAT IF THAT PERSON IS SOMEHOW 'AGAINST' THE IDEA OF HOMESCHOOLING/HOME EDUCATION, THEY HAVE A SIZEABLE AMOUNT OF ALLOWANCE TO DISRUPT AND DISTRESS THE LIFESTYLE AND PREFERENCES OF FAMILIES CHOOSING TO HOME EDUCATE/HOMESCHOOL.

HOWEVER, THE LAW DOES STATE THAT IT IS THE PARENTS RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT THEIR CHILDREN RECIEVE A SUITABLE EDUCATION. THE FACT THAT MOST IF NOT ALL PARENTS CHOOSE TO DELEGATE THIS RESPONSIBILITY TO THE SCHOOLS DOES NOT CHANGE THE FACT THAT THE OVERALL RESPONSIBILITY BELONGS TO THE PARENTS.

THE LEGAL RIGHT TO HOMESCHOOL/HOME EDUCATE IN DENMARK IS ENSHRINED IN THE GROUND LAW, BUT AS METTE MENTIONED THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES CAN INVOLVE THEMSELVES AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR AND 'TEST' ANY HOMESCHOOLED/HOME EDUCATED CHILD'S 'LEVEL'. AS A RULE OF THUMB THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES DEMAND THAT THE HOMESCHOOLED/HOME EDUCATED CHILD IN DENMARK IS ATTAINING LEVELS THAT ARE IN LINE WITH WHAT IS 'USUALLY' CALLED FOR IN STATE SCHOOLS. IT IS GENERALLY AKNOWLEDGED THAT THE STANDARD IN STATE SCHOOL IS FAIRLY VARIED AND LOW IN SOME CASES, BUT THIS DOESN'T DETER SOME LOCAL AUTHORITIES FROM DEMANDING UNREASONABLY HIGH STANDARDS FROM HOME SCHOOLED FAMILES IN UNDISGUISED EFFORTS TO PERSUADE THEM OUT OF THEIR CHOSEN LIFESTYLE. UNIFORMITY IS THE BIG THING IN DENMARK AND THIS CAN MAKE LIFE FOR THOSE OF US WHO CHOOSE TO 'STEP OUTSIDE THE BOX' RATHER CHALLENGING.

CHALLENGES CAN BE OVERCOME THOUGH, AND AS METTE SAID, THERE ARE AROUND 200 FAMILIES ENJOYING A SCHOOL FREE LIFE IN DENMARK. ALTHOUGH MY PERSONAL HUNCH IS THAT MOST OF THE FAMILIES WHO HOME EDUCATE HERE ARE DOING IT TEMPORARILY OR WHO ARE PASSING THROUGH ON THEIR WAY TO OTHER COUNTRIES.

PARENTS WHO WISH TO MOVE TO DENMARK AND CONTINUE/BEGIN HOMESCHOOLING/HOME EDUCATING WOULD DO WELL TO REFER THEMSELVES TO THE WEBSITE HJEMMEUNDERVISNING.DK WHERE A SMALL GROUP OF HOMESCHOOLERS/HOME EDUCATORS HAVE GATHERED TO SUPPORT THE 'CAUSE' AND WHERE AN INTERNATIONAL GROUP OF HOME EDUCATORS/HOMESCHOOLERS CURRENTLY RESIDING IN DENMARK CAN BE FOUND.

BEST WISHES TO YOU,

SCHOOL FREE MAMA DK.

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