Exceptional Life of Children & Students in Denmark

“A well-educated mind will always have more questions than answers.” – Helen Keller

Education plays a significant role in a person’s life. It enables a person to build his future which he has dreamt of. Proper education can help a person change his perspective of looking at life. Each person and every nation is dedicated to providing the best education to its citizen but, each of them are different in delivering the knowledge.

There are various factors that make up the education system of a nation. Some countries stick to the age-old education tradition while some upgrade it with the changing trend. It is important that the nations keep up with the pace at which the world is progressing and provide the same level of education which is expected.

While the nation’s progress is a crucial part of any education system, but the most important part is how happy and peaceful the country is. In recent reports on “happiest people in the world” by UNICEF, the Scandivinian nations were at the top while Denmark was ranked in the third place after the Netherlands and Sweden. Some reports indicate that the education system of these countries varies remarkably from the other major economies of the world.

Once known as Vikings of Europe, Danes now are at the top of the most civilized citizens in the world. Through the years, Danish people have changed and adapted themselves to be what they are today. It is indeed incredible to see the nation taking over the whole world as one of the world’s leading economies.

How is Denmark Different from Other Nations?

The life in Denmark or for that matter any Scandinavian country is quite different than other European countries. Unlike other Scandinavian nations, Denmark has a pretty adaptable geographical and climatic conditions. Denmark has a temperate climate which is easily adaptable to people from all around the world. This characteristic feature of Denmark welcomes a huge amount of European and international crowd for pursuing their education and career at a later stage.

When it comes to Denmark, the education system is rather focused on making the students a responsible citizen of the world. The main aim of the Danes is to shape their future generation which will focus more on finding solutions to the issues the world is facing. In Denmark, children are not judged on the marking system. Till the age of six, the teachers focus on pupils’ social development and happiness than the school’s advancement up a league table.

In the early stages of life, Danish children are like free birds. As said in a few reports, Denmark is one of the safest and crime-free countries in the whole world. In this country, parents do not have to worry about leaving their kids in public parks all by themselves which makes the Danes stand out from others. One can see that the nurseries and daycare here are located amidst nature which sounds like family-friendly nirvana.

When it comes to sharing the responsibility of the kids, fathers in Denmark are no behind. Both the parents take equal efforts to mould their child’s future. Dressing up the kids or feeding them is not limited to the mother only, here, the father is also seen contributing to it.

In many countries, mothers usually quit their jobs or start freelancing because her child cannot be left into trusted hands. But, the case is very different in Denmark. Mothers leave their kids at nurseries without having a second thought which enables both the parents to pursue their careers individually that in turn has put the country at the lowest unemployment rate.

Stages of Education in Denmark

The children from the age of 6 months are admitted to schools (nurseries). The facilities provided at various schools and pre-schools in Denmark are extremely high standards. The schools are divided into various grades with respect to the age of the students. The stages comprise of:

Grade 0 to 3 – Vuggestue or nursery
Grade 4 to 6 – Børnehave or Kindergarten
Grade 7 to 9 – Folkeskole or Primary and Lower Secondary School
Secondary Education
Higher Education

Children till the age of 6 years are let to discover the various aspects including their hobbies, their interests, etc. Students are not confined to limited space and the schools are built in the surrounding which embarks nature. They are let to get involved with nature and have a connection with it.

While the teaching and learning method is different from that of countries. Here, teaching is done more loosely and in groups. For instance, teachers have their freedom to choose the method of teaching which may include various methods like textbooks and e-learning. Generally, in Denmark, the grading system starts only after 8th grade. Which means the students are more focused on learning rather than scoring grades.

Generally, the Danish government takes care of various needs of the students and provides various facilities and a high level of education. Though the education system is challenging, it helps students to be capable of making decisions and choices for themselves. At first, it might be a bit difficult for international students to get used to the system, but once they are accustomed to it, they are ready to climb mountains!

In the end, here are a few Interesting Facts of Denmark: