Editing Iceland (section)

===Education and science===
{{see also|Education in Iceland|Science and technology in Iceland}}
[[File:Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík (main building, 2004).jpg|thumb|Reykjavík Junior College ({{lang|is|[[Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík]]}}), located in downtown Reykjavík, is the oldest [[gymnasium (school)|gymnasium]] in Iceland.]]

The [[Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (Iceland)|Ministry of Education, Science and Culture]] is responsible for the policies and methods that schools must use, and they issue the National Curriculum Guidelines. However, playschools, primary schools, and lower secondary schools are funded and administered by the municipalities. The government does allow citizens to [[Homeschooling|home educate]] their children, however, under a very strict set of demands.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://grapevine.is/Author/ReadArticle/Mayor-Does-Not-Feel-School-Should-Be-Mandatory|title = ReadArticle / Mayor Does Not Feel School Should Be Mandatory|publisher = Grapevine.is|date = 25 August 2011|access-date = 22 September 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130501135434/http://grapevine.is/Author/ReadArticle/Mayor-Does-Not-Feel-School-Should-Be-Mandatory|archive-date = 1 May 2013|df = dmy-all}}</ref> Students must adhere closely to the government-mandated curriculum, and the parent teaching must acquire a government approved teaching certificate.

Nursery school, or {{lang|is|leikskóli}}, is non-compulsory education for children younger than six years and is the first step in the education system. The current legislation concerning playschools was passed in 1994. They are also responsible for ensuring that the curriculum is suitable to make the transition into compulsory education as easy as possible.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://island.is/en/nursery-schools|title=Nursery schools|website=Ísland.is|access-date=2022-03-28|archive-date=2 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302125734/https://island.is/en/nursery-schools|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stjornarradid.is/verkefni/menntamal/leikskolar/|title=Leikskólar|access-date=2022-03-28|publisher=Stjórnarráðið|language=is|archive-date=2 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302193413/https://www.stjornarradid.is/verkefni/menntamal/leikskolar/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.althingi.is/lagas/135a/1994078.html|title=Lög um leikskóla|date=1994-05-19|language=is|access-date=2022-03-28|publisher=[[Althing]]|archive-date=20 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220420090025/https://www.althingi.is/lagas/135a/1994078.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Compulsory education, or {{lang|is|grunnskóli}}, comprises primary and lower secondary education, which often is conducted at the same institution. Education is mandatory by law for children aged from 6 to 16&nbsp;years. The school year lasts nine months, beginning between 21 August and 1 September, and ending between 31 May and 10 June. The minimum number of school days was once 170, but after a new teachers' wage contract, it increased to 180. Lessons take place five days a week. All public schools have mandatory education in Christianity, although an exemption may be considered by the [[Minister of Education, Science and Culture (Iceland)|Minister of Education]].<ref name = "Jonathan Fox">{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=rE0NcgxNaKEC&pg=PA118|author = Fox, Jonathan|title = A World Survey of Religion and the State|series = Cambridge Studies in Social Theory, Religion and Politics|publisher = [[Cambridge University Press]]|quote = All public schools have mandatory education in Christianity. Formally, only the Minister of Education has the power to exempt students from this, but individual schools usually grant informal exemptions.|isbn = 978-0-521-70758-9|year = 2008|access-date = 28 January 2021|archive-date = 10 June 2024|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240610033732/https://books.google.com/books?id=rE0NcgxNaKEC&pg=PA118|url-status = live}}</ref>

Upper secondary education, or {{lang|is|framhaldsskóli}}, follows lower secondary education. These schools are also known as [[gymnasium (school)|gymnasia]] in English. Though not compulsory, everyone who has had a compulsory education has the right to upper secondary education. This stage of education is governed by the Upper Secondary School Act of 1996. All schools in Iceland are mixed-sex schools. The largest seat of higher education is the [[University of Iceland]], which has its main campus in central Reykjavík. Other schools offering university-level instruction include [[Reykjavík University]], [[University of Akureyri]], [[Agricultural University of Iceland]] and [[Bifröst University]].

An OECD assessment found that 64% of Icelanders aged 25–64 have earned the equivalent of a high-school degree, which is lower than the OECD average of 73%. Among 25- to 34-year-olds, only 69% have earned the equivalent of a high-school degree, significantly lower than the OECD average of 80%.<ref name = "Iceland – OECD Better Life Index"/> Nevertheless, Iceland's education system is considered excellent: the [[Programme for International Student Assessment]] ranks it as the 16th best performing, above the OECD average.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/54/12/46643496.pdf|title = What Students Know and Can Do: Student Performance in Reading, Mathematics and Science 2010|publisher = OECD|access-date = 24 April 2012|archive-date = 7 March 2012|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120307105640/http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/54/12/46643496.pdf|url-status = live}}</ref> Students were particularly proficient in reading and mathematics.

According to a 2013 [[Eurostat]] report by the [[European Commission]], Iceland spends around 3.11% of its GDP on scientific research and development (R&D), over 1 percentage point higher than the EU average of 2.03%, and has set a target of 4% to reach by 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/research/innovation-union/pdf/state-of-the-union/2012/countries/iceland_2013.pdf |title=Research and innovation in Iceland, country profile |publisher=European Commission |access-date=24 March 2015 }}{{dead link|date=May 2016|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> Iceland was ranked 17th in the [[Global Innovation Index]] in 2021, up from 20th in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Global Innovation Index 2021|url=https://www.wipo.int/global_innovation_index/en/2021/|publisher=[[World Intellectual Property Organization]]|access-date=2022-03-05|language=en|archive-date=20 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920133358/https://www.wipo.int/global_innovation_index/en/2021/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Release of the Global Innovation Index 2020: Who Will Finance Innovation?|url=https://www.wipo.int/global_innovation_index/en/2020/index.html|access-date=2021-09-02|publisher=World Intellectual Property Organization|language=en|archive-date=3 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603121259/https://www.wipo.int/global_innovation_index/en/2020/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Global Innovation Index 2019|url=https://www.wipo.int/global_innovation_index/en/2019/index.html|access-date=2021-09-02|publisher=World Intellectual Property Organization|language=en|archive-date=2 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210902101818/https://www.wipo.int/global_innovation_index/en/2019/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=RTD – Item|url=https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/rtd/items/691898|access-date=2021-09-02|publisher=European Commission|archive-date=2 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210902140715/https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/rtd/items/691898|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2013-10-28|title=Global Innovation Index|url=https://knowledge.insead.edu/entrepreneurship-innovation/global-innovation-index-2930|access-date=2021-09-02|website=INSEAD Knowledge|language=en|archive-date=2 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210902101622/https://knowledge.insead.edu/entrepreneurship-innovation/global-innovation-index-2930|url-status=dead}}</ref> A 2010 [[UNESCO]] report found that out of 72 countries that spend the most on R&D (US$100&nbsp;million or more), Iceland ranked ninth by proportion of GDP, tied with Taiwan, Switzerland, and Germany and ahead of France, the United Kingdom and Canada.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001899/189958E.pdf|title = UNESCO science report, 2010: the current status of science around the world; 2010|access-date = 29 April 2012|archive-date = 1 February 2011|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110201003622/http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001899/189958e.pdf|url-status = live}}</ref>