Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Danish Education Special – Efterskoler
A place for academic and social achievement Svenstrup Efterskole, near Næstved in Denmark, was founded in 2000. In its short life to date, it has gained a reputation for being a home and school to students who have a real desire to learn, and who want to participate actively in a comforting and striving community of students and teachers. By Josefine Older Steffensen | Photos: Svenstrup Efterskole
Svenstrup Efterskole has chosen to focus on the academic subjects and teaching them at the highest standard. Alongside these, the students can choose between five different pathways, which they spend five hours a week on: football, dance, creative, music and sport. The 140 students live and go to school with each other and form friendships that last a lifetime during their year at the efterskole. “It was important for us to create a space for those who really want to learn, where the teachers can challenge them and where curiosity is at the forefront of everything we do,” explains Gitte Edelgaard, principal and co-founder of 72 | Issue 106 | November 2017
Svenstrup Efterskole. It is a school for people who love to, and are motivated to, learn.
Learning about life A year at an efterskole usually takes place after the completion of secondary school. It is a year for students to get involved in activities they like, to learn more and to live away from home. “For many, this is the first time they’ve ever lived away from their parents, so it is a big change,” says Gitte. The school becomes their home for a year, and helping to maintain the school becomes part of daily life. “We expect everyone to help with the cleaning and cooking
and generally making the school a nice environment to be in,” says the principal. The community that gets created over the year leads to strong friendships, while also giving the students a robust foundation for the rest of their lives. “The paths that people choose allow them to meet a different group of people than those they take their academic classes with, and then they share a room with a whole other group,” Gitte continues. “It’s an excellent way for them to meet lots of new people and learn about and from others.” Everyone at the school is accepted, whether they have spent their entire lives in the surrounding area or come from abroad. The school provides a safe and stimulating haven for everyone to be a part of. It is a highly sought-after efterskole and the waiting lists can be long, so it is a good idea to apply a few years in advance. Web: www.svenstrup-efterskole.dk