Policy of Sósíalistaflokkur Íslands on education

The policy of Sósíalistaflokkur Íslands is:

that all policy-making in school matters takes into account that work is done long-term, 20 years at a time at minimum (or one full higher education period).
that the school system is always guaranteed funding to fulfill its statutory role, especially the part concerning children.
that people's mental, physical or appearance-related abilities, origin, religion, age or economic status do not hinder participation in education.
that the school system primarily serves its users at any given time, the students and staff. It should be a safe and good workplace for everyone: students, teachers, and all other staff.
to fully democratize schools.
to increase the flexibility of the school system to accommodate changes in population composition and age distribution in neighborhoods.
to facilitate for immigrant youth and adults to have their education from other countries recognized, to localize foreign education, and to ensure Icelandic language teaching for adults.
that in teaching, emphasis is placed on reasoning, creative and critical thinking, physical health and mental well-being, sustainability and social empathy.
that schools are activated in their local community.

Further reading

Satisfied teachers are a prerequisite for successful school work. Funding shall ensure good facilities and well-being for students, teachers and other staff, as well as good salaries. This also combats brain drain from schools and makes the profession desirable.

All types of practical education need to be strengthened, in vocational, technical and creative fields at all school levels, as well as offering a diverse range of short career-related studies and strengthening extracurricular activities within schools.

The university level should be able to engage in robust research and knowledge acquisition alongside knowledge dissemination and teaching.

The needs of new Icelanders and bilingual children must be addressed with ambition, among other things, by increasing the availability of free Icelandic language teaching and mother tongue instruction.

All schooling at the compulsory education level shall be free of charge, including school meals, material fees, extracurricular activities and school trips. Provisions shall be ensured for low-income individuals to pursue education on an equal footing.

All forms of discrimination shall be prevented that excludes people from education or social activities related to studies, art education or sports training, whether inside or outside school.

People should be empowered to adapt to changing circumstances with a strong and open re-/continuing education system and offer recognition of prior learning in as many fields as possible. It should be made easier for people of all ages to take study breaks after compulsory education ends and return to studies, e.g., when changes occur in society or in personal circumstances.

Funding shall ensure that the demographic composition of school districts does not negatively affect the quality of work where social pressure is higher. Thus, all children and young people shall always receive the best education regardless of residence. Teachers and staff shall be nurtured to ensure ambitious and professional work where the workload is high.

Outsourcing of tasks at all levels of the school system shall cease, and staff shall be permanently employed at their workplace. Temporary and freelance employment in university-level teaching shall also be kept to a minimum, and it shall be promoted that part-time lecturers receive salaries commensurate with their education level and workload; they are not exploited as cheap labor.

Preschools should not be used as childcare facilities for children to serve the demands of the labor market, and a policy of learning through play should be followed at that school level. The best possible stress-free school transitions shall be ensured for students at all levels.

Teachers must receive the respect they deserve as experts in teaching. They shall shape the organization of work, teaching, and choice of curriculum to the student group they serve, as well as their own expertise and experience. Students shall influence the curriculum and organization of work according to age and ability. The curriculum shall also provide for increased study-related and practical participation of students in the daily operation of the school.

By managing the entire system as much as possible from the bottom up, it is possible to utilize the latest knowledge in educational sciences brought in by newly graduated teachers, as well as leveraging the knowledge of more experienced professionals. This aims to increase job satisfaction for all parties and the professionalism of the work, and to prevent political opportunism and corruption. The core curriculum shall be designed with this in mind.

Compulsory examinations must be abolished; examinations should be offered according to students' wishes, or another arrangement for assessment adopted in consultation with teachers and students.

Parents should be consulted in the lower tiers of the system, and transparency increased outwards.

The system should adopt its crisis solution to the schools' housing problem and apply it constructively. Instead of using temporary sheds to house school activities, a system of building modules that are easy to assemble, adjacent to a permanent main building, should be designed. Additional modules of several types can be constructed and moved between as changes occur in the age distribution and population composition of school districts.

The number of students should be prevented from exceeding certain limits in each school, but rather a new school should be established in the neighborhood.

School premises shall be opened for social activities and community services, courses and leisure activities, outside regular school hours. Also, where possible, during school hours, such as with "stay and play" initiatives, where new parents can get acquainted with the school's work.

Staff providing social support for municipalities can undertake outreach projects in schools outside office hours, especially in socially vulnerable areas where people find it difficult to access such services during office hours, as well as trauma teams being available to respond promptly and firmly when incidents occur.

School staff shall receive support to acquire training or knowledge to assist those who seek information or other support from them, and such training shall be utilized for salary determination.