Icelandic schools put too much emphasis on wellbeing, expert says

Iceland’s school system has placed too much emphasis on wellbeing at the expense of effective teaching, according to Haukur Arason, an associate professor at the University of Iceland’s School of Education, mbl.is reported.

He said this may help explain why a large share of Icelandic students fail to reach basic proficiency in reading comprehension, science and mathematics, the three subjects assessed by the PISA study.

Arason spoke on the Dagmál programme earlier this week alongside Sigríður Ólafsdóttir, an associate professor at the University of Iceland’s School of Education and a literacy specialist. They discussed new PISA results showing that Icelandic children’s performance in reading comprehension, science and mathematics continues to decline.

“When considering the ideas behind schools, various perspectives emerge,” Arason said. He identified four main approaches in curriculum theory: preparing children to contribute to an efficient society by learning practical skills, supporting their development and wellbeing, strengthening their knowledge, and using the school system to change society.

“These perspectives often conflict, and I think we have moved too far towards emphasising wellbeing and those aspects at the expense of the others,” he said.

Asked whether this had come at the expense of sufficiently effective teaching, he replied: “Exactly.”