German requirement for academic track scrapped

The requirement for preparatory German instruction to apply for the academic track will be abolished, Kringvarp Føroya reported. The requirement was introduced in 2023.

Fewer students are applying for the track. There were 154 applicants in 2022, 88 last year and 73 this year.

Education Minister Bárður á Lakjuni said at the opening day at Glasir that action was needed to reverse the trend.

He also said the government plans to eventually abolish a separate physics and chemistry requirement that applies to some upper-secondary programmes. The change is expected to take effect after 2028, when all compulsory-school students are planned to study physics and chemistry as required subjects in grades 8 and 9.

The coalition also plans to review admission requirements from compulsory school to upper secondary education. Its aim is to establish the same admission requirements for all academic programmes, so that a completed compulsory-school examination gives students access to all upper-secondary programmes.