Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Efterskoler – Uniquely Danish
Customise your own education Fenskær Efterskole is one of Denmark’s 18 boarding schools for kids with special needs. Some of their students come from ordinary state schools, while others have attended special-needs classes. But no matter where they come from, they have something in common: they are not happy in school. Fortunately, a customised year at Fenskær is sure to change that. By Stephanie Brink Harck | Photos: Fenskær Efterskole
Fenskær Efterskole believes that there is something much more beneficial to their students than sheer academics. “We are a musical and practical boarding school without the regular ninth grade exam. This allows us to focus on the things our students actually can do and thereby give them successes instead of, as you normally do in Denmark, focus on the things they can’t do, such as read or write age-appropriately,” says Niels Kirk, principal at Fenskær Efterskole. The students at Fenskær are taught through different workshops. There are workshops about jewellery making, music, gardening and textiles as well as stone cutting and woodwork. “Three times a year, we sit down with each student to evaluate and talk about their in54 | Issue 83 | December 2015
terests, and then we tailor an artisan, creative or musical school year to suit their competences. This means that we have 85 students, each with their own plan and schedule,” explains Kirk.
Everyone but Peter Pan has to grow up The students live at Fenskær Efterskole 24 hours a day, except for the weekends. They sleep in houses shared with eight or 11 fellow students. And this is, according to Kirk, very educational for the students. “We want to make sure that our students become as independent as possible, which can be difficult when they cannot participate in a normal school system. To prepare them for life after school, we teach them how to wash their clothes, clean the house and many other practical things.”
It is also important at Fenskær that every student gets the attention that he or she needs, which is why they have double the teacher-student ratio compared to a normal boarding school – and why there are two teachers connected to every house.
No hocus pocus That does not mean, of course, that Fenskær can accomplish miracles. “We do not try to hide the fact that there are things our students will always find difficult, because they will have to live with that for the rest of their lives,” says Kirk. “We just want them to know that there are also a lot of things they can do and hopefully will do.” As such, the bar is set incredibly high for all the workshops, just not in an academic sense. It is no exaggeration to say that the pieces the students create during the workshops are as exceptional as similar items bought in stores. “We want to give our students some real experiences of success. When they make a painting, their mother will often say that it looks lovely before she puts it in a drawer. Our