Iceland’s Ministry of Education and Children intends to replace letter grades with numeric grades in compulsory schools next spring, starting with 10th-grade students. The change will see final grades expressed as numbers rather than letters, according to reporting by Austurfrétt.
The move has drawn criticism from the Teachers’ Association of East Iceland and provoked concern from local education committees in East Iceland, who say the changes are being implemented too quickly. Many teachers have submitted negative responses during the government’s consultation period, which closes tomorrow.
Minister of Education and Children Inga Sæland stated that delaying the new grading system is not an option. The Ministry has published its third and final action plan to implement the national education strategy through 2030, which is open for public consultation until 26 October.
The new action plan includes other measures such as a long-term literacy programme, new core mathematics content for all compulsory schools, increased in-school support for teachers, and providing new teachers with guidance within 30 days of starting. The Ministry says the plan includes measurable targets and covers the period from 2027 to 2030.
Sources
Links: samráðsgátt stjórnvalda
- Austurfrétt (first reported) in Icelandic
- Vísir in Icelandic
- DV in Icelandic
- Stjórnarráð Íslands (Government of Iceland) in Icelandic
- RÚV in Icelandic
