The Ministry of Education and Children is preparing to introduce nationwide school attendance standards for the 2026–2027 academic year as part of a broader effort to identify, respond to and prevent persistent school absenteeism among primary school pupils.
The standards, which will be trialled during the coming school year, aim to create a consistent national approach after years in which individual municipalities developed their own attendance systems.
Officials say the lack of uniform procedures has made it more difficult to monitor school avoidance across the country and ensure children receive timely support.
What’s the Story?
Original source: Vísir
- Iceland will test nationwide school attendance standards during the 2026–2027 school year.
- The framework aims to standardise how schools record and respond to persistent absenteeism.
- Schools will lead initial interventions before involving specialist welfare or healthcare services if needed.
National framework
A working group appointed by the ministry has proposed five measures, including common attendance guidelines, standardised attendance codes, unified applications for exemptions from compulsory attendance, measurable national targets, and revisions to relevant regulations and the national curriculum.
The proposals form part of Iceland’s Education Policy to 2030 and its 2025–2027 implementation plan.
The initiative follows reports earlier this year suggesting that as many as 1,000 children in Iceland may not be attending school because of school avoidance. According to the government, deteriorating attendance can indicate that a child requires additional support and that intervention should begin before problems become more serious.
Education and Children Minister Inga Sæland said the project would provide clearer and more consistent support for children and their families.
“Children should not fall through the cracks because we record things differently or respond differently between municipalities. With common standards, schools will have clearer tools, parents greater predictability and children better opportunities to receive support at the right time.”
Under the proposed framework, schools would be expected to respond first through discussions with the child and their parents while seeking practical solutions. If attendance problems continue, support could then involve educational services, social services, child protection authorities or healthcare professionals, depending on the child’s needs.
The ministry says the pilot year will be used to refine the standards before considering further reforms, with the overall goal of ensuring that no child gradually disappears from the school community without being noticed and offered support.
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