Secondary school students could increase by 1,200 between years

The Ministry of Education and Children’s Affairs states that all new students from the country’s elementary schools will be guaranteed education in upper secondary schools in the fall semester.

The 2009 cohort is the most crowded in history, according to Statistics Iceland, which year was born 5,026. That cohort ends its compulsory schooling after almost a month.

In the Ministry’s reply to the request of mbl.is on measures for this large number, it is assumed that about 4,000 students from the country’s upper secondary schools will be graduated this year and it is expected to increase by 1,200 students in upper secondary schools in the fall semester 2025.

11% more applications than last year

The Ministry refers in its response to data from Statistics Iceland and assumes about 5,200 new students from the country’s elementary schools in enrollment in upper secondary schools in the fall semester 2025. Are there about 11% more applications than last year. Then received 4,677 Applications to the country’s upper secondary school and all new students from compulsory school were admitted to school.

In comparison, about 700 students study at the Reykjavík High School and about 930 at the Hamrahlíð High School.

Can receive more students but may not

Ársæl Guðmundsson, headmaster of Borgarholtsskóli, said in a conversation with mbl.is over a month ago that this would end in an empty « kaos » this summer if nothing were done, but schools may only receive a certain number of students in accordance with the budget.

Asked if something has changed since then he says the schools have not received any announcements of changes.

« We could accept more students, but we can’t do that according to the budget. » says Ársæl.

Work to find a solution to the problem

In response The Ministry of Education and Children’s Affairs says that the ministry has called for information from school masters about the number of space in daycare that the school could enroll. According to their answers, the schools can welcome them, provided that the funding of the upper secondary schools will be increased.

The ministry says that efforts are being made to find ways to meet the schools for this in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, but this large number of new upper secondary school students were not expected in the budget, although the number of them has long been available.

Do anyone get space in any school?

mbl.is asked the Ministry of Education and Children’s Affairs whether it will be possible to welcome all those who intend to start education at upper secondary schools or whether the position can arise that someone will not have space in upper secondary schools this fall as the budget allows the schools to take in a certain number of students.

The ministry then referred to Article 2 regulation on enrollment which stipulates that those who have completed compulsory education have been equivalent Act on upper secondary schools.

The ministry’s reply did not state whether it has the scope to meet this within the framework it has or from the field of the ministry funds.