Adult eduction in Denmark from the Czech eyes

In my work I try to compare the Danish and the Czech education system for adults. In the first part I briefly pay to attention to the Danish and the Czech education system for adults. In the second part I speak about my experiences from Danish schools for adults and about experiences from the Czech education. In the end I evaluate and compare both systems. The theoretical information forms only a small part of my work the main part is about my experiences and my opinions.
I chose this topic because I study the Education for adults in the Czech Republic. I wanted to know how it is working here and when I found some information about Danish adult education the differences and good system was interesting for me and I decided to write about it.

Skolen ved Stadion

I spent fourteen day of my practise in the Skolen ved Stadion. It is the primary and lower secondary school in Haderslev offering special education for children with general learning difficulties and provides education to children whose development requires special support.
The common basic education is here divided to three levels according to the age. The children in similar age but different level are together in the same classroom. The teachers are working with pupils in small groups and the education is based on the needs of each individual child.
The school cooperate with specialists - the children go on dentist, logopaedist, ergoterapist and psychologist – and support a special service the transport between home and school for pupils.
The contact with parents is very important. Two times a year the parents meet together in the school and two times have an individual meeting with teacher. The teachers also arrange a meeting for grandparents.

Trin 1B

On the practice I was together with Helena also from the Czech Republic and we staid with the class 1B with eight pupils from first level all the time. We decided to visit the pupils before the start of our practise and brought them some sweets. It was a good idea because when we started on Monday the children knew us and were not so shy.
The children were very nice and we made contact with them very quickly. They have very different problems for example the Yasmmine has the Down syndrome, Martin was born with chromosome problem and Sandra has a low IQ because her mother was drinking when she was pregnant.
Every day starts with the morning songs. All pupils and teachers met together in the hall and sang two songs. When someone had birthday everybody was singing the birthday song. After everybody went to the classrooms and the work started. Every day the children had different programme.
Monday – learning with workbooks and work with paper,
Tuesday – cooking,
Wednesday – music and gymnastic,
Thursday – shopping in the Super Best and learning with workbooks,
Friday – swimming and a special work.

The work with children was especially for improving basic practical skills and how to behave in society. The teachers had a very good relationship with children and they spoke with children about normal life and about experiences from weekend or from holiday.
We spent all activities with children and helped with work in the classroom. Sometimes we had problem with understanding because some of the children spoke Danish language. But we learnt some sights, which the teachers and children use when they speak, and also some Danish words and after the communication were better.
The last day of our practise we prepared some cookies and an activity. The children had to sketch in a drawing of mole from the Czech famous cartoon and after coloured it.
Our stay in the Skolen ved Stadion was a splendid experience and I can imagine working with these children in this school.

International Week

International week is five days in May where the Erasmus students in Haderslev meet together with students from Comenius programme and have activities together.
We spent our week with students from Portugal, Spain, Italy and Belgium.
Sandra, Helena and I we offered accommodation for one student in our flat so we spent one nice week with Carla from Portugal.

Every day we had a special programme:

Monday
All students met together in a big room in school. After we said something about us and had a game to getting to know. Than we had a group dancing, the basic of Danish language and a group work about introduction countries and stereotypes. My group has to write the keywords about Belgium and painted some picture. I was a little angry because some group that presented the Czech Republic said almost the bed thinks in our country and they thought that we are a poverty country. I was hurt because of they meaning but although it were stereotypes. But maybe it is a signal for the Czech Republic that we should make better representation of our country.

Tuesday
On Tuesday we made a trip to the oldest town in Denmark to Ribe. The weather was very nice so we could admire the Ribe Cathedral and the Sct. Catharinae Church. Ribe is a town of Vikings so we could not miss the Vikings museum. After we had a free time for taking a coffee or walking in the very nice picturesque streets.

Wednesday
Wednesday was a day of songs and singing. In the morning we started with song for children. The students from each country had to sing and show some song and say what kind of skills are the children learnt. I prepared with Helena song when you are saying the names of part of body and show them.
After lunch break we spoke about body language and we had small exercise when always one from a group showed some gesture and others tried to explain what it means.
From 18:30 starts the big evening of Eurovision song contest. Every country could prepare some song and made fun for the others. Helena and I we found the Czech song on last moment and we had only two hours and half for preparation the costumes. We chose music from the famous Czech historical film and we also made small performance in our costumes. We did not win the competition but we enjoyed it. The all evening was wonderful and after we had party all foreign students together and we dance and chat.

Thursday
The day starts with school visit. The day before we were divided to groups and every group had one school for visiting. I was in the Real school and took part in two classes. It was a private school with classes from 0 to 9. In the afternoon we worked on portfolios and shared experiences.

Friday
In the morning we had to present our portfolios and said what was interesting for us.
Friday was last day of International week so every country cooked some specialities and we said bye bye.

I enjoyed the week very well. It was very interesting to meet with students from other countries and recognize new costumes and national specialities. With Carla from Portugal I keep in touch and I would like to visit her in the summer.

Copenhagen

Before we were going to Copenhagen we got a contact for one man who is living in the centre and he offered an accommodation. I am happy that we stayed in his flat because we had a nice time here. The man was very nice and hospitable. He prepared a royal breakfast for us and we could speak with them about Copenhagen and living in Denmark.Copenhagen is very cosmopolitan city with the very different people and with many street artists. We were walking and observing all the time and we visited many places there. I liked very much the part of the city near the harbour where is the mermaid, Nyhavn, the building of the stock exchange and finally the Christiania. I like the atmosphere in Christiania because it is very different then in the centre. There are not so many people and it is mystical place for me. We could not miss the special liberty part of Christiania and were here two times because it is very interesting different world.

Odense

The Easter holiday was a very good opportunity how to make a big trip and get to know some new places in Denmark. I was travelling together with my boyfriend Honza and we have chosen to travel by train. Our first stop was Odense the city of H.CH. Andersen.
Odense is the capital of the island Fyn and it is a city with about 180 000 inhabitants. We visited the part of the city where are the old houses and also the Andersen´s museum. We were walking all the day and we saw the Sankt Knuds Kirke, the Andersen´s house and we took lunch in a very nice park Munke Mose. We liked the city full of figures and sculptures from Andresen´s fairy tails so we decided to stay here during the night in a hostel and enjoy evening in a beautiful café with cocktail. The next day we continue on our journey to Copenhagen.

Travelling

I cannot imagine to be in the Denmark and do not travel. Three months it is an enough time for recognizing the country. The travelling is not cheap here because the public transport is expensive but if you want and save some money it is possible to visit some places. I wanted to see different parts of the Denmark and now I am satisfied because I visited the Seeland (Copenhagen, Roskilde), Odense in the island Fyn and of course nice towns in Jutland (Ribe, Sønderborg, Kolding, Aarhus…). There are more places I would like to see but I also have to let something for next time.

Nightlife

Evening is a very important part of a day because it is a time for relaxing

and spending time together. We have adopted the Danish traditional meeting the Hygge. Almost every evening we have a nice session in a one of our house. I like these meetings very much because we share experiences from a day and from our countries. Sometimes we have a movie night and we are watching the films on computer.
When we want to go out and dance or take a glass of bier the best place for it is the Crazy Daisy. It is a dancing club and a good place for having fun. If you do not want to dance there are other places where to go for example the pub Tribunen where is sometimes the live music or the Kafka café the nice place for chatting and getting a good coffee.
Every Friday it is open a pub for students in our school. The young people meet here and drink beer, playing the table football or they have a special actions here - carnivals or gangster evening. The Friday café is open from the afternoon to the twelve. We do not have this kind of cafes in the Czech Republic but I think it is a good occasion how to spend time with friends from school and be closer to university.

Accommodation

Before we were going to the Denmark we could choose what kind of accommodation we want. My choice was flat about 20 minutes from the CVU. I share the flat with two girls - Helena is from the Czech Republic and Sandra from Belgium. We live in an area Varbergparken where are the social houses so it is a place where almost living immigrants and old people. It is a special place and many Danish people do not want to live here but we havn´t had any problems yet and I like living here.
In the flat every girl has own private room and we have bathroom, kitchen and living room together. The living room is my favourite part because we meet here and chat, drink tee, eat cookies or play games.
In the beginning the flat was nearly empty but we made a decoration and now it is a very cosy home.

Real Skole

The Real skole is a private school with about 500 students who provides the 9 degrees of the basic education. The school consists of some buildings that are divided by the pupils from the age. The same as Haderslev Kristne Friskole the Real skole can choose the curriculum and in spite of fee the parents have to pay the most of expenses of the school cover the state.
I saw a lesson of German language where the students were listening German broadcasting in the radio and lesson of Danish where the pupils had a presentation about the book they read.In comparison with the Kristne Friskole I think here the pupils were more disciplined and the teachers more strict and the atmosphere in the school was not so friendly and pleasant. In the end we spoke with the director of the school and the man was very nice and he answered our questions.

VUC Haderslev

The second school for adults we have visited was the CVU. It is a school for people who have not finished the basic education or they want to improve some basic knowledge. There are a lot of workers from a factory or people who want to have education for a further study.
The VUC has five schools in Denmark ( Gram, Haderslev, Sonderborg, Tonder, Aabenraa) with 5 000 students. The students pay a fee two hundred DKK for subject and they can start the study during all year. The people can also attend the evening study.
The school in Haderslev is situated in the factory building but the part for studying is very nice with modern equipment.
We have visited two lessons: math and Danish spelling. I think that the lesson was a little wasting the time because the students were not busy and the most of time they did what they wanted. I think the teacher should be more strict and exacting.
In Czech Republic this kind of school does not exist because we have compulsory 9 years of school attendance and after every pupil can go to higher school.

Sprogcentret Haderslev

The Sprogcentret is a school for adult foreigners who want to live in Denmark. They have to learn Danish language and get know Danish culture and customs. When the immigrants receive the diploma from the school it is easier for them to find a job and stay in Denmark.
The Sprogcentret has own special system of education that consists of 3 levels: for illiterate people, for people with a short school background and form people with an ordinary school background. The students can finish their education by passing a final test, which can give access to different possibilities. The education is free of charge for people supported by the municipal. The offer lasts up to 3 years after having started the education. Other students have to pay a fee.

The school has very good equipment with many possibilities for studying. The students can use for example the room with computers, comfortable library, nice café or room for listening the pronunciation. I have visited one lesson of Danish language and I have met with women from the different parts of the world. Some of them are in Denmark because they have a husband here and some are here because in their country is a war. The teacher-old lady was very pleasant and she made good atmosphere for learning.
I have never heard about this kind of school before and it is very good way haw to incorporate foreigners to society and prevent from unemployment. This is possible only with a support of the government. We do not have this kind of school in Czech Republic it is maybe because our social politics it is not so good like here or maybe because we do not so many immigrants who want to stay in CR.

FOOD

If you want to get know another country you can not miss a typical food. In Denmark a day starts with the morgenmad (breakfast) which is very similar like in Czech Republic it means pastry or cereals. Lunch is usually a sandwich, meal from fast food or a package from home. The main meal of a day is dinner. When is a family together dinner consist usually of soup, meal with meat and finally cake like a dessert.
The typical Danish foods are:
Smørrebrød - a tiny slice of dark Danish bread with salad and with salmon, crab or eggs.
Pølser - very typical are here stalls with sausages. You can buy here something like hotdog but it is a special hotdog with fried onion and pickled gherkin. I tasted it and it is very good snack for afternoon.
Frikadeller - fried balls from minced meat.
Winerbrød - very sweet and a very good cake from a “leafy dough”.
The most favourite alcohol drink is a beer (øl) and also Aquavit and a liqueur Gammel Dansk.

THE ROYAL FAMILY

The tradition and legislative is guaranteed that the Danish Royal Family does not have a political influence but it is very important symbol and authority for Danish people.
The head of the Danish Royal Family is the queen Marghrethe II. She has with her husband Henrik two sons. The crown prince Frederik is married with Mary Elisabeth which comes from Australia and now she is crown princess. They have a son prince Christian. The second son of the queen Marharethe is Joachim. He is divorced and he has a son Nikolaj.
The Family lives in the Royal Palace in Copenhagen.

Haderlsev

Haderslev is a more than 700 years old market town lying in South Jutland. There live about 31 000 inhabitants and when you want to watch the sea and dolphins it is only 10 kilometres from the seaside.
The centre of the town is formed from two streets full of shops, cafes and hairdressers. There are a lot of shops with modern clothes, shoes and also with sweets. The centre is not so big but when you are walking across the town you can see many beautiful small streets with nice houses. When you are interested in history you can see Haderslev Domkirche here and St. Maria Kirke. Another opportunity how to meet with the history of the town is archaeological museum which also includes an open air museum with old houses and a windmill.
Haderslev is also famous for the Fugelsang beer. I have tested the beer and I can recommend it.
Very beautiful place for me is the park with the lake because you can walk here, observe birds and when is a nice weather it is a good place for picnic.

CVU

CVU Sonderjylland University Collage is centre for higher education in South Jutland and it is possible to study to be for example Bachelor in education, social education or nursing. The school has about 2 800 students and the study consist of theoretical and practical part.
The university is also centre for another education programs and cooperate with several international projects.
The CVU consist of many buildings which are in the same place. There are library, canteen and special rooms for music, art or cooking. The equipment is very good I like especially music room. There are a lot of computers with internet where you can work all day and night because if you have a special key you can go to school when you want.
It is a nice school with a pleasant environment.

CVU Erasmus Course

Erasmus Course is a three-month special international exchange programme for foreign students. This programme is mainly for future teachers but we have also a lot of subjects where we compare customs, culture and education in ours countries. Our Erasmus group are only 13 girls which are from different parts of Belgium, Austria, Northern Ireland and from Czech Republic. We recognize life in Denmark the system of education, music, cooking atc. and we chose some options we have together with Danish students. The course consists of lectures, excursions in Danish schools, presentations, discussions and individual work. At the end of this programme we will have an oral presentation which is based on weblog, portfolio and written work on the topic we chose before.

BIKES

Denmark is a great place for riding a bike because is a very level country. There are a lot of camping areas and cyklistic trails that is good opportunity how to recognize Danish nature. This kind of transport is very popular in towns. In front of public buildings there are stands for bikes and some parts of town are full of bikes. You can find a bike also in unusual places for example in a lake or in a wood. I think we should inspire and use more bikes in the Czech towns.

FLAG

One of the most visible symbol is the Danish flag (Danebrog). You can see it everywhere. Each house has a special pole for flag and when is good opportunity like a statutory public holiday, birthday in family or wedding the flag is flying next to the house. Danish people are proud for this symbol maybe because is consider to be the oldest flag in the world. According to an old story the flag fell down in the 1219 from the heaven during Reval´s battle.

Haderslev Kristne Friskole

My first experience with the Danish system of education I gained in the Kristne Friskole in Haderslev. This Christian and private school was founded in 1976 and it is destined for the pupils from kindergarten up to the 9th class.

Together with four other Erasmus students I could visit two classes. At first we introduce ourselfs and told something about our study. In the first 6th class the children had English lesson and they were asking some antoher pupils questions about a housework and the children could filnd out how practical they are. The pupils were moving in the classroom bud they were disciplined and the teacher help them when they needed.

In the second classroom there were children about 14 years old and they prepared a special project in the groups. The theme of the project depended on the choice of each group.

The next week they will have a presentation of their work.

The break we spent time in a room for teachers and it was good oportunity for guestions. Everybody was very friendly and we also recieved a coffee and cake.In the end teacher Maria showed us the school - room for cooking, art and music room, place for afternoon activities atc.

I felt in the school a family atmosphere. Each teacher knows every child and in the classroom there are about 20 pupils. I think the relationship between teacher and pupil is personal and very good here. Children can also spend an afternoon in the school because there is a special place for this activities.

Because it is a privat school the parents have to pay for children. It is also a religion school but there are unbelieving children too because of the reputation of the school. Otherwise the system of education in this school is very similar like in the state schools because the children are teached the same curriculum.

Seaside - Årø

Haderslev lies about 25 minutes from the sea and when you have free afternoon you can go on trip and visit some island in the seaside. I visited together with my friend Sandra small island Årø. Now in the winter there live only about 100 people. We were walking in a small town next to the port and we also saw a church with a churchyard here. I liked the nice port here and the view with birds to the sea when sun was shining. When we were going back by boat we saw delphins in the sea.

Kolding

Kolding is a modern town of design with many possibilities for shopping. The symbol of Kolding is an old castle Koldinhus with museum of handcraft but the town is without historical centre and original houses. It´s a place with nice atmosphere and with the beautiful lake Slotsø.

Århus

Århus is the second biggest city in Denmark and the city full of life. In the centre there are many small streets with shops, cafes and galleries.

The Old Town is the famous part of Århus because it´s a museum with original houses when you can buy a traditional food and souvenirs. In some houses it´s possible to see the exhibitions of toys, clothes or clocks. In the summer you can visit five various gardens with flowers, herbs, trees or vegetables.

In Århus we also visited the gothic cathedral and the artmuseum ARoS. The museum represents different periods of Danish art - Golden Age, Modern Art, Conterporary Art. In the museum you can also find the special exhibition of international art. We could see the controversial exhibition of the American artist Paul Mc Carthy including provocative sexual or disgusting topics and some exhibits were funny. The exhibition was interesting for me because it´s antoher view of conterporary art. Danish art I saw in the museum very goog represented the historical periods with topics you can see in the whole Europe.

Journey to Haderslev

There are many possibilites how to travel trom Prague to Haderslev. But I chose the most complicated way. I couldn´t go by plane because of my huge and heavy luggage and the train was an incovenient timetable for me. So last possibility and also the cheapest way was go by coach to Copenhagen.
I arrived to Copenhagen very early and I had to wait two hours for the train to Vojens. It was very interesting to wait in the main station and watch the young people which were drunk and they were go going home. The station was alsou full of people which were going to work or some of them had a breakfast in morning cafe. I could see a lot of homeless and dubious persons. But I felt well.
The travelling in the train was very nice and comfortable. During my journey I needed many times to help with my luggage and fortunately the men are polite in Denmark... I had only a problem in Vojens because I needed to catch a bus to Haderslev but there are many stairs so it was goog training for my arms. And 30 minutes after I was in Haderslev!