Faroese upper secondary schools see rise in applicants after years of decline

A total of 828 people have applied for upper secondary education in the Faroe Islands this year, marking a reversal of recent declines, according to the Faroese Ministry of Education.

The ministry reports that 645 applicants sought places in general upper secondary programmes, an increase of 32 compared to last year. The natural science programme remains the most popular choice, while business studies follows as the second most sought-after track.

Vocational programmes received 163 applications, 13 fewer than the previous year. The electrical engineering programme is again the top choice among vocational applicants.

Gender distribution shows 55 percent of general upper secondary applicants are girls, though boys dominate vocational programmes. Two exceptions are the clothing and textile programme and hairdressing, where most applicants are girls. At the Technical College in Klaksvík, 77 percent of students are boys, compared to 65 percent at Kambsdalur Upper Secondary School and 55 percent at Glasir College.

The Health School in Suðuroy received 20 applications, with seven aiming to become healthcare assistants and 13 applying for nursing assistant training. The ministry notes that the physiotherapy programme was not offered this round but will be available later this spring.