This school lets teens 'find themselves' for a year
15-year-olds spend a year 'finding themselves' at an "efterskole", a kind of boarding school that focuses more on personal growth.
About a third of all Danish 15-year-olds spend a year "finding themselves" at an efterskole, a kind of boarding school that focuses more on personal growth.
It's a time for teens to cut ties with their parents and test out communal living, free of most constraints, often in the countryside.
"The aim is to spend a year finding out who you are, how to live your life, and how the community functions," said Mette Sanggaard, director of Ollerup Efterskole, located in a small village on the island of Fyn.
"The whole school is organised around this quest," she added.
"Efterskoler" is a unique Danish school form. Efterskolerne are independent “boarding schools” where Danish pupils aged 14-18 choose to spend a year or two of their lower secondary school education🎒👯🏈
— Denmark.dk (@denmarkdotdk) April 27, 2023
What do you think about spending a year or two at an Efterskole? 🙋♀️ pic.twitter.com/lCG6tA8hb0
Each "efterskole" sets its own curriculum, which typically includes core subjects like maths, Danish, and English. Some schools also offer a focus on music, sports, or drama.
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But there are no grades.
Teens who do not attend an "efterskole" begin their final three years of secondary school straight away.
Danish students also have the option to complete a "10th year" of school after their compulsory nine years, which is also not graded.
Ollerup Efterskole, which specialises in music, welcomes around 100 students each year.
With a month left of her year at the school, Siri Krause has only positive things to say.
"I've learned a lot about myself... I think you also just learn which type of people you like to be around," she told AFP.
"The only thing you can dislike about it is that you have to do a lot of stuff on your own... cleaning your room and washing your clothes and stuff like that," said Krause, the eldest of three children.
At the school, students are expected to clean their rooms and communal areas, and help prepare meals.
Other than that and their studies, they're free to socialise as much as they like.
"It can be socially draining sometimes," Krause admitted.
Privately Run
In Krause’s room, which she shares with two friends, the walls are adorned with photos and posters, and a heavy scent of perfume lingers in the air.
The room has a bathroom, a dressing table, and two sets of bunk beds overlooking a field.
"It's beginning to get a little bit warmer, so we're outside a lot—just sitting on a blanket and chatting or doing something, playing music or drawing," said Krause's roommate, Ella Munoz.
Their English class was also being held outside to take advantage of the sunny weather.
In Denmark, education is free and funded by taxes.
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Attending an "efterskole", however, comes at a cost. The schools are privately run under contract with the state.
A year at Ollerup costs between €9,000 and €13,200 ($10,000–$15,000), with subsidies provided based on parents’ income. The cheapest schools cost around €6,500 per year.
Despite the cost, the schools are not considered elite and remain popular among Denmark’s middle class.
'The Whole Person'
The "efterskole" idea dates back to the 19th century, when Nikolai Grundtvig, a pastor and philosopher, argued that education should be accessible to everyone, anchored in language and culture, and aimed at fostering independence.
Teachers at "efterskole" don’t just teach—they also live in student residences and spend the day with the teens.
"The adults are both teachers and supervisors, in charge of communal living," said Sanggaard.
"We work with the whole person," noted Anne Lindekilde, a former journalist who now teaches French, Danish, and art at Ollerup.
After a year at an "efterskole", students can rejoin the regular school system to begin their final three years of secondary education.
Research has shown that teens who attend "efterskole" are "more likely to start and finish high school," said Ulla Højmark, associate professor at the University of Aalborg.
At Ollerup, most students are preparing to return to regular school in the autumn.
"It's kind of scary that school is going to be over, and then you have to go to high school and do real schoolwork and not just be kind of chill about it," said Krause.
While hugely popular in Denmark, the concept has yet to be successfully exported.
Ireland has a "transition year," during which students of a similar age can spend a year learning anything from arts to car maintenance, languages to psychology, or even gain work experience.
Hollywood stars Cillian Murphy and Paul Mescal have both credited the year with turning them on to acting.
Only one "efterskole" has been opened abroad—in South Korea—but it later closed due to a lack of funding.
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