Scan Magazine | Special Theme | A Guide to Danish Efterskoler
Traditional values in a modern world With a strong focus on sustainability, diversity and inclusivity, Faaborgegnens Efterskole is a modern ‘efterskole’ with traditional values. The school offers four main subjects focused on food, IT, nature and art. By Signe Hansen | Photos: Faaborgegnens Efterskole
Founded 17 years ago, Faaborgegnens Efterskole is a relatively new school, but at the heart of it are the values of a traditional Danish ‘efterskole’. “Our school centres on the feeling of community – to come here, you have to be willing to give and receive something to and from the community,” says principal Marianne Kjær Nielsen. “It’s something that many pupils find challenging, but intriguing. A lot of children now spend more
At Faaborgegnens Efterskole, traditional ‘efterskole’ values like solidarity, inclusivity, and diversity are at the heart of all activities, both inside and outside the classroom.
time with their friends on social media than in real life, and here we’re back to basics – sitting in circles and actually being together.” Beautifully located by the sea in Southern Funen, Faaborgegnens Efterskole attracts pupils from both Denmark and abroad and is currently collaborating with a school in Schleswig to welcome more pupils from Germany. The school also has a number of spaces earmarked for pupils with physical
disabilities. “Many of them have conditions that have meant that they have spent a lot of time on their own, but here they will experience being part of something,” says Nielsen. Pupils will also be part of the school’s aspiration to become as green as possible, a quest that has led to big-scale measures such as the use of a straw-fired boiler and solar panels and smaller-scale measures such as buying and preserving local vegetables and knitting sustainable table cloths.
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