By The Keystone Newspaper By Kara Armstrong
Five years ago, the Danish professor Julie King made the transatlantic move to the United States. With a master’s level education and teaching experience in both Denmark and America, King possesses a unique perspective on the education systems in both countries.
Photo Credit: Unsplash
One of the biggest differences between American and Danish schools is the level of strictness. “In Denmark, we put more responsibility on the students,” said King. “Here, there are a lot of consequences, like if you miss a deadline or if you’re sick.”
In Denmark, instructors prioritize the relational aspect of teaching. “We don’t take on the role of the authority there as you would traditionally do here,” said King. “Part of the reason is that there aren’t as many rules to uphold in the classroom.”
It’s common that a Danish student will not receive grades until the end of term, differing significantly from the American school system that puts a large emphasis on grades throughout the entire semester.
What most significantly sets Denmark’s higher education system apart from America’s is that college is free for Danish citizens. In fact, students receive a stipend for attending school.
“In America, I see there is a lot of stress related to the financial burden of going to school,” said King. “Those were never considerations I had to have as a student.”
The Danish system of higher education enabled both King and her husband to attend college at the same time while they also became parents to two children. When King took a year off of school to have a child, she was provided with a year’s extra stipend in maternity leave. When she returned, she picked up her studies right where she’d left them.
“The Danish system is set up in a way that makes it easy to be a young parent and a student,” said King.
Since higher education is so accessible, it is heavily encouraged and expected. “It’s very unusual for someone in Denmark to only have a bachelor’s degree,” said King. “Almost everyone has a master’s.”
Even hands-on jobs, like carpentry, which typically wouldn’t require schooling in America, require some level of education in Denmark. “No matter what you do, you need to have an education or a certification to practice it,” said King.
In contrast, there are many careers in America that don’t require higher education. King cites this as a benefit to living in America. “I think it’s good to be able to have paths that don’t require a college degree,” said King.
While many college students live on campus in America, Danish students do not. There are dormitory-like buildings for students who live far away, but they are not owned by the universities. It is most common for students to commute to campus. Danish students do not have the same experience learning to live with others that American students get while sharing a dorm room.
Additionally, the duration of college differs between countries. A bachelor’s degree in Denmark traditionally takes only three years. There are no general education classes in Denmark, so students focus on their major faster.
At an elementary level, Danish students have shorter school days than American elementary schoolers. When King’s own children were in elementary school, she recalled that their school day started at 8 a.m. and lasted no later than 1 p.m.
Danish elementary students also go outside to have a ten-minute recess every hour, because there is a value on physical play and activity.
“Here, it’s a lot of sitting in seats,” said King. “If it rains, if it’s too hot, too cold, too windy, the kids are inside for recess.”
As Danish students age, their school days become longer. By high school, the length of the school day is about the same in Denmark as it is in America.
Although it was an adjustment for the whole family, King’s oldest son is now in high school and “loves it.” He especially enjoys playing on his school’s basketball team.
“The sports activities and opportunities that students have through school are great,” King said of American schools.
King believes there is a possibility her children will return to Denmark for college, but she doesn’t plan on it. When her family moved to the USA they did so with the mindset that the move would be permanent. “If you keep playing with the idea of going home, it makes it more difficult,” said King.
“The longer we’re here, the more this feels like home, too,” said King. “I think we’ll always be that two-home family.”