A new numeric grading system will replace the current letter scale for final grades in Icelandic compulsory schools from spring 2027, Vísir and RÚV have reported. The change will see 10th-grade students’ final marks presented on a scale from 4 to 10 instead of as letters.
While the Icelandic Chamber of Commerce (Viðskiptaráð) welcomed the move to numeric grades, it said that numbers alone would not ensure fair or comparable assessment unless the same score represented the same level of competence at all schools. The Chamber called for clearer assessment criteria and more precise weighting of competence criteria to achieve consistency between institutions, according to Fréttatíminn.
Fréttatíminn also cited the Chamber’s view that the reform’s value would be limited unless achievement standards were aligned across schools. According to Vísir, successfully introducing the system would require careful coordination between government policy and actual classroom practice, something stakeholders suggested was not yet in place.
Teachers have also voiced strong reservations about the reform, according to RÚV, Iceland’s national public broadcaster. They warned that grade categories under the new numeric system remain poorly defined, and criticised a process they say is being executed at their and students’ expense. Separately, mbl reported that most consultees on changes to the core curriculum’s supplementary provision for 10th-grade grading are dissatisfied with the proposed implementation.
Background
The Icelandic Chamber of Commerce is a lobby organisation for business interests, established in 1917. It is also a major owner of the University of Reykjavík and is known for hosting annual business conferences and providing opinions on laws and regulations.
Sources
- Vísir (first reported) in Icelandic
- RÚV in Icelandic
- mbl.is in Icelandic
- Fréttatíminn in Icelandic
