Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Danish Education Special – Efterskoler
Stand out
By Signe Hansen | Photos: Tjele Efterskole
– on a skateboard, BMX or computer If you are looking to be outstanding, Tjele Efterskole is the place to be. With a new extended skate park and e-sport, scooter and BMX as subjects on the schedule, the school allows youngsters to develop and explore their passions in a safe and encouraging environment. Located in Central Jutland, Tjele Efterskole’s main aim is to enable students to “be outstanding”. It does so through a varied and action-packed programme including everything from performance to table tennis, but over the last few decades it has become best known for its wheel-based subjects such as BMX and scooter. “The growing popularity of these subjects has meant that we have gradually expanded our expertise and facilities since we first established our BMX race programme 14 years ago,” says principal Kim Hansen. Last year, the school extended its skate park to include a foam pit ramp allowing students to safely practise bold moves such as backflips.
Among other popular subjects are art and design, author, and performance. All receive special attention in different ways. Every year, for instance, all pupils take part in a big theatre performance. The big range of subjects also results in a great variation in ambitions and backgrounds among the school’s 105 pupils. “It’s a very diverse group, and something we prioritise is that they get to learn from each other and their differences. Tolerance is a keyword at Tjele Efterskole,” says Hansen. Web: www.tjeleefterskole.dk Facebook: Tjele Efterskole - Ta’ Te’ Tjele
Facts: Main subjects offered at Tjele Efterskole: Art and design, artisan, animation, scooter, BMX race, author, table tennis, skateboarding, performance, BMX freestyle. The school is located in Tjele, about 35 minutes by bus from Randers.
An efterskole with plenty of room for work and fun Covering more than 70 hectares in Jutland, Denmark, Bråskovgård Efterskole certainly makes a mark on the landscape. Pupils spend a fantastic year here doing everything from farming and cooking to sewing and building robots. By Josefine Older Steffensen | Photos: Bråskovgård Efterskole
“We pride ourselves on having people from across society who come here and create their own community where everyone is accepted and where there is plenty of room for people to enjoy themselves while learning about new things,” says Preben Brunsgaard, principal at the school. There are eight pathways to choose between: cookery, photography, horses, design, tech-lab, farming, outdoor and hunting. Each is a supplement to the core academic subjects, and the pupils spend around five hours a week on their chosen pathway. The pathways provide an allencompassing introduction to their subject. The huge farming area that comes with the school provides it with all the meat and vegetables it needs, and it is in 64 | Issue 106 | November 2017
the process of embracing organic farming. The cooks therefore use very local and seasonal products in their food, all of which is homemade. “Alongside the pathways, the pupils are still expected to follow core academic subjects. In each subject, we split the pupils up based on their ability level. It means
that no one feels left out and, ultimately, it means that our pupils achieve their best as individuals too,” Brunsgaard explains. The school allows for different kinds of people to get acquainted, and this teaches them acceptance. No one is allowed to take away another person’s joy, and everyone works together across skills and activities. Ultimately, this creates an environment where everyone feels at home and comfortable, and where everyone has fun. Web: www.bge.dk