Entry 2: June 27, 2008

Our trip to Hafnarfjordur was my first time going somewhere with a schedule without some kind of supervision. I was really nervous about the bus schedules because the only time I have taken public transportation was in Washington D.C. when I had to use the Metro. We had our teacher with us there, so it wasn’t so bad even though we got separated at one point. Being lost in Washington wasn’t so bad, because everyone spoke my language. Even though most Icelanders speak English, there is never a guarantee that the person I need help from will too.

Our traveling was a complete success, and we were even picked up by the man who owned the guesthouse we stayed at for the weekend. His name was Baldr and he lived up to his name by being so kind. After settling in at the guesthouse we took a walk into town to go on the elf tour we had scheduled. I was a little apprehensive about the tour because I thought it might be made specifically for children. It turned out to be very fun and very informative. Our tour guide Sigga walked us through the town while telling us stories of the elves and hidden people. It seemed that she had a strong belief in the hidden people, but she was not a person who would compel others into believing.

When we got back to the guesthouse we found Baldr and began to chat with him about the tour. He was worried that the tour had been too commercial and disrespectful of the elves. We reassured him that Sigga was very respectful and that she was not at all outlandish while telling the stories. Baldr told us that even though he is Christian, he is a very traditional Icelander and was not at all happy with recent depictions of the elves and hidden people. He felt that his fellow Icelanders were making a mockery of their culture by commercializing the old tales. I was very glad to finally personally talk to an Icelander about the subject. It was evident that Baldr was a true believer in the hidden people while at the same time was Christian. It was very cool to actually see the two cultures mix so seamlessly.

We were also very fortunate to be staying at a place where a gospel festival was going on right in the back yard. I was pretty excited to go to an Icelandic concert. I thought that everything would be in Icelandic, but all the songs were in English. There were musicians from all over the world including the United States. While playing Frisbee, I was approached by a fellow North Carolinian. I was so surprised to meet someone from the U.S. and even more so someone from my home state. He knew all about Meredith and our crazy traditions. He has even attended Cornhuskin’! We shared stories of all of our cultural experiences while in Iceland. It was such a relief to find a fellow American who has felt the same things we have and still does, even though he has been here for years. The whole experience was wonderful, and I will definitely stay in this town the next time I’m in Iceland.

Journal 1: June 16, 2008

Þórir Ólafsson, advisor to Iceland’s Minister of Education, came to Skalholt to share with us Iceland’s education system. Þórir was a teacher, vice-president, and a principal before serving the Ministry for the past eight years. One of Þórir’s most rewarding experiences while serving as an educator is knowing that he has contributing to the growth of the “foundation of society”.

Icelandic schools and grade levels are broken up a little differently than schools in the United States. Icelanders break students up solely by age instead of grade level. Pre-school is not an obligation for parents, but most decide to take advantage of the early education, even though they have to pay for it. Primary school consists of ages 6 to 16. Upper-secondary, which is equivalent to America’s high school, lasts from ages 16 to 20, and is completely optional. However, 95% of 16 year-olds decide to apply to upper-secondary schools. The dropout rate in Iceland is very low. Þórir informed us that it is considered an exceptional case if a student drops out of school before the age of 16. At age 20 students have the choice of applying to a university. If accepted, a student can spend anywhere from 3 to 7 years earning a degree. Three years at the university qualifies a student for a bachelor’s degree, five years qualifies for a master’s and seven years qualifies for a doctorate.

Nearly all of Iceland’s education system is publicly funded. According to Þórir, the University of Iceland only requires students to pay $700 in registration fees per year. Even though students attending private universities can pay up to ten times the amount in tuition as a student attending a public university, the private school still receives funding from the state. Education is a constitutional right in Iceland; therefore, Icelanders try to make school as affordable as possible.