Inga outlines measures to improve Iceland’s PISA performance

Inga Sæland is promising a broad package of measures after Iceland again placed at or near the bottom of the European OECD rankings in the latest PISA results.

The children’s and education minister said the government would place much greater emphasis on basic skills, including reading in Icelandic and science, as well as other STEM subjects. A curriculum review would establish clearer priorities, with schools expected to teach fewer topics while going deeper into the subjects students are studying.

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We are going to teach fewer subjects. However, we will place greater emphasis on the subjects our children are studying at any given time.

Sæland also announced that 455 million Icelandic króna would go toward new teaching materials. She said the investment would give teachers some relief from spending evenings and weekends preparing materials for the following day or the day after.

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We are going to give our children the opportunity to get rid of their phones during school hours.

Another central proposal is to make schools phone-free. Sæland said students should have the opportunity to put away their phones during school hours and remain free from the pressure, risks and other effects associated with spending all day on social media.

The package also includes a push for teacher professional development, stronger professional support for schools and greater teacher specialization. Sæland highlighted the need for more teachers trained to teach Icelandic as a second language, particularly for students of foreign origin. A review of teacher education is already under way, she said.

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We want children to be children while they are children.