Inga says authorities neglected Iceland’s education system

Inga Sæland says Icelandic authorities have neglected education in recent years, according to mbl.is, and that the country’s poor performance in the latest PISA assessment reflects the lack of emphasis placed on the sector.

Asked whether authorities had “fallen asleep at the wheel” on education, Inga replied: “Yes, unfortunately.”

She said the situation would not be as serious if education had been given greater priority, arguing that the country’s future depends on it.

Inga said the current government was placing particular emphasis on children’s issues and education, describing its efforts as a “national campaign”. She pointed to one of the government’s leaders taking responsibility for the education and children’s affairs ministry as one sign of that focus.

She added that education had gained greater prominence in public debate and that she had received strong encouragement to continue with the changes she plans to introduce.

Inga described the latest PISA results as extremely serious and said Iceland had declined on educational measures since 2015. In her view, the decline had now reached its lowest point.

“I believe we have reached the bottom, and now there is no option other than to go up, go up and push off forcefully from the bottom,” she said.