Scan Magazine | Special Theme | A Guide to Danish Efterskoler
Where collaboration and community are in focus A year at an efterskole in Denmark is one where you get a chance to explore your interests, meet new people and live away from home. At Bråskovgård Efterskole in Jutland, there are eight different pathways to choose from, 140 students to get to know, and 70 hectares of grounds to roam around. By Josefine Older Steffensen | Photos: Bråskovgård Efterskole
At Bråskovgård, there is the opportunity to choose between gastronomy, KreaLab, TechLab, outdoor, hunting, photography, horses and farming pathways, all of which are combined with traditional school subjects. The pupils are also currently working with the Millennium Development Goals, doing experiments and learning how they can make the school more sustainable. “The different pathways work together and alongside each other. We put a lot of effort into pupils working with and helping each other out: for example, with the TechLab group creating solar panels for a backpack the KreaLab pupils had made, and the gastronomy students going out
into the field with the farming group. It creates a community of people who are able to work together and can learn from each other,” explains Preben Brunsgaard, principal at Bråskovgård Efterskole. Within the normal subjects, the classes are divided into different levels in order to help and challenge the pupils. “Everyone is equally important, and we want our
Get a flying start in life
pupils to gain as much as possible from their year with us. It creates a great community where people are supportive and want to actively participate in the school,” says Brunsgaard. From day one, to help with working out the future, Bråskovgård supports its pupils and helps them to develop themselves and their interests. The school’s welcoming, inclusive and collaborative community is one that brings out the best in people and gives them one of the most memorable years of their life.
Web: www.bge.dk
By Signe Hansen | Photos: Tjele Efterskole
With extensive skate, scooter and BMX facilities, Tjele Efterskole is the place to be for wheel-obsessed eighth, ninth and tenth-graders. But the school also has many other exciting offers, including the chance to train in table tennis with the assistant coach of Greenland’s national team. Founded in 1985, Tjele Efterskole’s main aim is to enable students to “be outstanding”. It does so through an action-packed schedule and focus on health and exercise. “All our students, even those on non-sports programmes, learn about diet and exercise during their time with us,” says principal Kim Hansen. Though most famous for its skate-, BMX- and scooter facilities, Tjele Efterskole also offers a number of creative subjects, as well as table tennis headed by Michael Jørgensen, who also coaches Greenland’s national team. Another popular subject is e-sport, in which pupils can improve their skills in a range of different games. For youngsters looking to pursue a vocational education, the school offers a unique craftsman class combining academic subjects 84 | Issue 130 | November 2019
with vocational skills and apprenticeships. The big range of subjects creates a great variation in ambitions and backgrounds among the school’s 100 pupils. “It’s a very diverse group, and one thing we prioritise is that they learn from each other and their differences. Tolerance is a keyword at Tjele Efterskole,” stresses Hansen.
Main subjects offered at Tjele Efterskole: Art and design; artisan; animation; scooter; BMX race; author; table tennis; skateboarding; girl skills; BMX freestyle; e-sport. The school is located in Tjele, about 25 minutes from Randers.
Pupils at Tjele Efterskole can enjoy the school’s outstanding facilities and expertise within subjects such as BMX, skate, e-sport and table tennis.
Web: www.tjeleefterskole.dk Facebook: Ta’ Te’ Tjele