Portal:Iceland/Selected article/10

The system of education in Iceland is based upon the American system, and there are four levels: playschool, compulsory, upper secondary and higher. Education is mandatory for children aged 6–16. Most institutions are funded by the state; there are very few private schools in the country. There are 192 institutions catering for compulsory education, 42 schools for upper secondary education and 9 higher education institutions.

The oldest gymnasium in the country is Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík, which traces its origin to 1056, when a school was established in Skálholt. The school was moved to Reykjavík in 1786, but poor housing conditions forced it to move again in 1805 to Bessastaðir near Reykjavík. In 1846 the school was moved to its current location, and a new building was erected for it in Reykjavík. The University of Iceland was the first higher education institution in the country, and was established on 17 June 1911, uniting three former Icelandic schools: Prestaskólinn, Læknaskólinn and Lagaskólinn, which taught theology, medicine and law, respectively. The university originally had only faculties for these three fields, in addition to a faculty of humanities.