New developments in Danish guidance policy Focus on transition from compulsory to youth education 5th Thematic Conference of the Comenius network, Århus, June 8th 2010 Steffen Jensen Head of Division for Guidance, Danish Ministry of Education sj@uvm.dk (+45) 3392 5135 (+45) 2033 0840 30/11/2018

The Danish educational system 30-11-2018

Guidance for young people National level: Guidance portal www.ug.dk: Information about education and training, professions, labour market issues and possibilities abroad Regional level: 7 Guidance Centres: Guidance in relation to transition from youth education to higher education: Pupils in youth education programmes Young people and adults outside the education system wishing to enter a higher education programmes Local level: 45 Youth Guidance Centres: Guidance in relation to transition from compulsory to youth education Pupils in lower secondary school Young people under the age of 25 outside education, training and employment 30-11-2018

Changes in the Act on Guidance Following a political agreement from November 2009 a comprehensive piece of legislation was passed in the Danish parliament on June 3rd 4 different acts have been passed, the most significant changes are in the Act on Guidance An investment in the future: A total of DKK 510 million (Euro 70 million) are invested in the years 2010 – 2012 The changes will come into force August 1st 2010 – some parts will only have effect from January 1st 2011 30-11-2018

15-17-year-old must be in education, employment or other agreed activity 15-17-y-o are obliged to be in an activity in accordance with their personal education plan The personal education plan can contain a wide variety of activities aimed at the 15-17-y-o sooner or later completes vocational or upper secondary education or gain foothold at the labour market The young person his/her parents and the youth guidance centre must agree on the activities The municipality/youth guidance centre must ensure that the personal education plan is complied with or changed The municipality is given the tools for this 30/11/2018

Possible sanction The municipality get the possibility to withhold the family allowance for 15-17 y.o.s if they do not comply with the obligation to be in education, employment or another agreed activity and the family are not willing to cooperate The municipality can also choose to give the family allowance to the young person herself or himself rather than the family 30-11-2018

Assessment of 15-17-y-o’s readiness for education When a young person is leaving compulsory education to vocational or upper secondary education, the youth guidance centre must assess whether the young person possesses the necessary educational, personal and social skills Pupils/parents can demand that a negative assessment is tested by a youth educational institution if they do not agree with the youth guidance centre For young people, who are assessed not yet ready for education, the municipality must provide training or whatever needed to qualify for a positive assessment 30/11/2018

Focused guidance on transitions in education The municipalities have to reach out for vulnerable young people in the transition from 9th and 10th form to the youth education in order to avoid quick drop-out (“hand held guidance”) Meetings between guidance centre and educational institutions Assignment of a mentor …. 30/11/2018

Municipal provisions for the 15-17-y-o The municipalities must offer young people who are not ready for education special courses aiming at uncovering the interests and competencies of the young person and prepare him/her for education The municipality can e.g. acquire special courses at a vocational school or a production school, utilise the youth school, short-term traineeships, folk high schools, private schools etc. The youth guidance centre can also provide special guidance sessions for these young people 30-11-2018

De-bureaucratisation The guidance effort is de-bureaucratised, which gives the municipalities greater freedom, e.g. to focus their resources on vulnerable young people Municipalities will have more freedom in organising the guidance, which e.g. implies that the youth guidance centre can be integrated in the public employment service 30-11-2018

Results-based management instead of process management Municipal increased flexibility in managing its effort is matched by a corresponding demand for establishing municipal objectives for the results of the guidance and the youth effort, in supporting the government’s objectives on the educational and labour/employment sector Information on the municipal effort aimed at the 15-17 y.o. is collected, in order to make it possible to establish transparency of the municipal performance 30-11-2018

Establishment of e-guidance in relation to www.ug.dk E-guidance is established providing opportunity for personal guidance through “e-channels” Primarily aimed at resourceful youths and their parents E-guidance will relieve the guidance counsellors at the centres and is offered as a wide variety of virtuel communication- and guidance tools, such as phone, online chat, webcam, sms and e-mail E-guidance is manned by professional guidance counsellors and cooperates with the youth guidance centres, the regional guidance centres and the national guidance portal www.ug.dk. 30-11-2018

Change of study advice at educational institutions Study advice is annulled in legislation but is being replaced by an obligation to prevent drop-out from the educational system and to cooperate with the youth and regional guidance centres Educational institutions get greater flexibility in organising the effort in order to make is possible for each school to have a clearer focus on vulnerable pupils Educational institutions can use other professional staff than guidance practitioners 30-11-2018

10th form in vocational schools The municipality can offer 10th form at a vocational school, which would contribute to make 10th form the beginning of a vocational education rather than the end of lower secondary education Possibility that pupils attend 20 weeks of 10th form and then 20 weeks at a basic programme at VET. The conclusion of 10th form can be postponed until after the basic programme at VET. When the young person have finished 10th form, the pupil has at the same time completed all of or elements of a basic programme at VET 30-11-2018

Vocational education including high level courses More flexibility at vocational schools – makes it possible for strong pupils to combine a vocational education with the achievement of higher levels of education in different courses making the pathway to higher and further education more easy 30-11-2018