Subjects and Curriculum

The subjects in the Folkeskole

The education in the nine-years of primary and lower secondary schooling is distributed within three subject areas and includes the following compulsory subjects for all students:

Subjects in the Humanities

• Danish in form levels 1-9.
• English in form levels 1-9.
• Christian studies in all form levels, except for the year in which confirmation takes place (students can be exempted from this subject by request of their parents).
• History in form levels 3-9.
• Social studies in form levels 8 and 9.

Practical/Creative Subjects

• Physical education in form levels 1-9.
• Music in form levels 1-6.
• Visual arts in form levels 1-6.
• Design, wood and metalwork, and home economics in one or more form levels between levels 3-6.
• Food science in form level 5 and 6.

Science Subjects

• Mathematics in form levels 1-9.
• Natural sciences/technology in form levels 1-6.
• Geography in form levels 7-9.
• Biology in form levels 7-9.
• Physics/chemistry in form levels 7-9.

The following topics are a compulsory part of the education programme in primary schools

• Road safety,
• Health and sexual education and family studies,
• Educational, vocational and labour market orientation.

German language classes are to be offered to students as an elective subject in form levels 5-9. As an alternative to German, students may be offered the opportunity to select French language classes as an elective subject in form levels 5-9.

Teaching in Danish as a second language is provided when necessary to bilingual children in pre-school class and in form levels 1-9. The Minister of Education is responsible for establishing the regulations concerning education in Danish as a second language to bilingual children and concerning native language tuition of children from Member States of the European Economic Area, as well as the Faeroe Islands and Greenland.

In addition to the abovementioned teaching that the schools are obligated to provide, students in form levels 7, 8 and 9 may also be offered education in a range of elective subjects.

The Curriculum

The Folkeskole Act gives the Minister of Children and Education the authority to establish the regulations and aims regarding education and the central knowledge and skill areas (end objectives) in subjects and compulsory topics. Moreover, the Minister determines the regulations and objectives for specific form levels (form level objectives) for the specific subjects/topics. The end and form level objectives establish a national objective for the direction and goals of the teaching, ensuring that students acquire the necessary knowledge and skills in the subject/topic at the end of their programme of education and at the end of specific form levels, respectively. A description (in Danish) of each subject is provided in the subject’s folder under the title ”Common Objectives” (Fælles Mål).

Common Objectives cover the two most important sets of academic texts regarding the school’s subjects and topics.

The binding national objectives in the form of the subject aims, central knowledge and skill areas (end objectives) and form level objectives.

Guidelines for curricula and descriptions of the educational development designed for reaching the form level and end objectives. Once the local curricula and descriptions receive final approval from the municipal board, they also become binding – and thereby common – for the individual school.