Publication: Better Education

Better Education

Danish education and training must match the best in the world. When comparisons are made with other countries, it is our aim that Denmark should stand at the very top.

It is very ambitious to want to create the best education system in the world. Nevertheless we have all the prerequisites to do so: we spend a great deal of money on education, we have a long education and training tradition, we have excellent teachers and good institutions.

However, we can become even better at making use of these prerequisites. Better Education is the path the government wants to follow to attain this aim. The focus is on upper secondary education; higher education; adult education and continuing training, and these initiatives must be seen in close connection with the government's aims for the Folkeskole (primary and lower secondary education).

The prerequisite for creating the best education system in the world is to make greater efforts within five central areas: qualifications and competences; flexibility; innovation; free choice and output management.

Qualifications and competences

All education courses must consist of a solid foundation of qualifications and competences. No matter which level of education the pupil/student is on, the quality of a 3 programme depends totally on the degree of proficiency and competence.

The subject-specific profile of the programmes must be more precise. There must be the possibility of immersion in the subjects, and a better coherence must be created between the subjects. Clear targets must be set for qualification, competence and quality, and it must be possible to document that pupils and students actually learn the things they are supposed to learn. Finally, the programmes must match the ever increasing demands in the private and public sector labour market.

Flexibility

The programmes must be organised in relation to the needs of the individual and the needs of the business sector. Everyone must be ensured the possibility of lifelong learning in that the education system should provide the individual throughout his/her life with relevant education and training courses. The education system must be more flexible so that it is possible to acquire competences in different ways and with varying time consumption for the individual.

Innovation and entrepreneurship culture

The education sector must to a much greater extent than today ensure that the Danish business sector receives an efficient transfer of knowledge. Research and new ideas must be translated into economic growth and welfare for both the individual and for society. The initiatives contained in Better Education must therefore be seen as a continuation of the government's growth strategy Determined Growth.

Pupils' and students' desire to study must be encouraged. It must be challenging and attractive to start up something new and be independent - and we must be much better at preparing and inspiring young people to do this.

Free choice

The intention is that greater flexibility must make it possible for pupils and students to put together their own programme of education. However, this is a question of freedom with responsibility. The freedom to put together a course of education must not be exercised to the detriment of qualification and competence. To give young people the freedom to choose what they want without thinking about what this freedom can be used for afterwards is to deceive the young and other members of society.

Output management

The educational institutions must be given a greater degree of freedom and thus a better framework for developing quality, but at the same time the institutions must document and be evaluated on whether they live up to the increased responsibility. Proficiency, competence and quality must reach the required standard.

There must be a change when we go from detailed regulations about "how things are to be done" to the measurement of output, i.e. "what do we get?" Do schools and universities ensure that the graduates have relevant and valid qualifications?

In the following, we will present a number of the major concrete initiatives from the action plan. Together with proposals and time perspectives the government's global vision for education is described in the action plan, Better Education (see www.uvm.dk).

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