Author: Elisabeth Nedergaard, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

I The story of teaching Classics in Denmark
Latin came to Denmark with Christianity in the 10th century and was originally taught in the monasteries. After the Reformation in 1536 the schools were no longer Catholic but a series of Latin schools were inaugurated all over the country for the education of those aiming at a university study (in Theology). Besides Latin ancient Greek was now also being taught. The tradition of the Latin school was not really broken until a major reform was undertaken in 1903.

The 1903 reform departed from the long-lived and strong classical tradition of the Latin Schools. With inspiration from Norway the upper secondary education was divided into three branches: the classical linguistic, the modern humanistic/linguistic and the scientific branches. To compensate for the loss of Greek as a cultural foundation subject in two of the branches, a new subject called "Oldtidskundskab" (Ancient Civilisation) was fostered. The new subject was created to give the students insight in the most important aspects of classical Greek civilisation, only the texts were now to be read in Danish translation. The 1903 reform was a success and continued for more than fifty years, during which the population of the General Upper secondary schools ("gymnasier") rose from less than a thousand students a year to more than 5000.

In 1958-63 the three branches of the upper secondary schools were reduced to two: the humanistic/linguistic and the scientific branches. After the first year the two lines were subdivided into more specialised branches. In 1975 a new Primary Education Act secured a nine year primary education for all and from 1979 Latin was abolished as precondition for the humanistic/linguistic branch of the upper secondary school.

A new reform in 1988 changed the upper secondary education into a new system still divided into two (humanistic/linguistic and science), but with no separations. Instead a series of options is presented to the students giving them the opportunity to adapt their examinations in the direction wanted. With a few adjustments this reform is still the basis for the school system today (2004, see below).

II The modern secondary school system in Denmark
The upper secondary system of Denmark in 2004 is divided into four different types of education:

• "Det almene gymnasium/stx" = The General Upper secondary education (3 years leading to "studentereksamen" = examen artium)
• "Hoejere forberelseskursus/hf" = Higher Preparatory Course (2 years leading to an examination equivalent to "studentereksamen", though it was originally planned to serve those aiming at medium long further education)
• "Handelsgymnasiet/hhx" = Business education (3 years leading to "Hoejere handelseksamen")
• "Det tekniske gymnasium/htx" = Technical education (3 years leading to "Hoejere teknisk eksamen")

The curriculum of the latter two do not contain Classics and the Higher Preparatory Course rarely does. For those aiming at a broad general education in aspects including Classics the General Upper secondary education is to be preferred. The 1995 figures show that the General Upper secondary education ("det almene gymnasium") has now grown to serve about 35% of a particular cohort, or over 20,000 young people.

III Classical subjects within the secondary system of Denmark
In the humanistic/linguistic branch of the General Upper secondary school, Latin is taught at three levels:

Mandatory Latin (1.g, C-level) is taught in the first year when the students are between 16 and 18 years of age. It is taught in 3 lessons of 45 minutes a week. 8-12 pages of original Latin texts form the basis for an eventual oral examination (25 minutes with 25 minutes preparation).

Optional Latin, (one year, B-level) is a medium level subject taught for one year with 4 lessons of 45 minutes a week. The students read 40 standard-length pages of original Latin texts. 20 of these serve as material for an eventual oral examination (25 minutes with 25 minutes preparation).

Optional Latin (two years, A-level) is a high level two year subject. It is taught with 5 lessons of 45 minutes a week for both years. The students read about 100 standard-length pages of original Latin texts and 150 pages in Danish translation. Of the c. 100 Latin pages read, 50 are selected as basis for an eventual oral examination (30 minutes with 30 minutes preparation). A-level Latin also includes a written examination after the last year.

Students of the science branch have the option of reading Latin at C-level in their second or third year. The subject is read in 4 lessons of 45 minutes a week. The students read 25 standard-length pages. Of these 15 pages of original Latin texts form the basis for an eventual oral examination (25 minutes with 25 minutes preparation).

The C-level Latin taught at the Higher Preparatory Course is a one year subject (taught in 4 lessons of 45 minutes a week). The students read 20 standard-length pages of Latin out of which 12 must be original. The examination syllabus consists of 12 of the original Latin pages read during the year, but the examination includes unseen texts by the same authors or with the same subjects. The examination (25 minutes with 25 minutes preparation) is mandatory if the subject is to be passed.

In the General Upper secondary school, Greek at A-level is a two year optional subject that can be chosen either alone or in combination with two year A-level Latin. It is taught for two years in 5 lessons of 45 minutes a week in the second year and 8 lessons of 45 minutes a week in the third (Ancient Civilisation included). The students read about 100 standard-length pages of original Greek texts and 300-500 standard-length pages of Greek texts in Danish translation. Furthermore, a representative number of monuments (vases, sculpture, architecture inter alia) from the period 700-300 B.C. are studied. Fifty of the pages read in Greek plus a representative selection of the monuments studied form the basis for an eventual oral examination (30 minutes with 30 minutes preparation). As in high level Latin, high level Greek also involves a centrally asked written examination after the last year.

The C-level in Greek appears in the curriculum of the General Upper secondary school as one of many optional medium level subjects. Greek at this level does not include the lessons in Ancient Civilisation. The students read 25 standard-length pages of Greek texts. 15 pages of original Greek texts form the basis for an eventual oral examination (25 minutes with 25 minutes preparation).

Ancient Civilisation is a mandatory C-level subject for all in the General Upper secondary school in Denmark. It is taught in 3 lessons of 45 minutes a week in the last year of the gymnasium. The students read about 300 standard-length pages of texts in Danish translation. The texts must include both poetry, drama and prose. Homer, the Attic tragedy and Plato must be represented. In addition to the texts, the students study a selection of monuments from the same periods as the textual material. As the basis for an eventual oral examination (25 minutes with 25 minutes preparation) 40 standard-length pages of poetry are chosen of the pages read (Homer included) together with 100 pages of prose (Plato included) and one drama. Furthermore a representative selection of the monuments studied is included in the examination material.

Students of the higher Preparatory Course may take Ancient Civilisation as an optional C-level subject in the last of the two years. The subject is identical to the C-level of the General Upper secondary school (above), only the examination is compulsory for students following the Higher Preparatory Course.

In future, from 2005, everything in both the General Upper secondary school and the Higher Preparatory Course is going to change. The General Upper secondary school will no longer be divided into two branches. As a consequence of this, Latin will be abolished as a mandatory subject, but will exist as part of a short linguistic introduction for all (an interdisciplinary course of c. 45 lessons out of which c. 20 include working on Latin textual material). Latin and Greek are still going to be found as optional subjects (A-level or C-level), and Classical Civilisation is still a mandatory subject in the curriculum though in a new design. The keywords for the reform are interdisciplinary co-operation and project teaching.

IV How to become a teacher of Classics in Denmark
To become a teacher in the General Upper secondary school in Denmark, you have to study two relevant subjects at university. Normally a study comprises a main subject studied for three and a half years (dissertation included) and a side subject studied for one and a half years. Greek, Latin and Ancient Civilisation can all be studied at the universities in Copenhagen, Aarhus and Odense. Copenhagen and Aarhus also have departments for Classical Archaeology.

The initial teacher training is organised as a two year project consisting in both theoretical and practical pedagogical training. The new teacher has to be employed by a school in the training period. Here the student will teach in the classes of his or her mentors for the first year, while the classes of the second year are the candidate's own. A central pedagogical trainer at the school writes a statement for the candidate at the end of the second year. Two external censors follow the candidate through the process.

After the initial training the candidate can freely apply for a job at any school advertising for an employee with the subjects of the candidate. The headmasters decide locally whom they want to employ. There is no central application system.

V Further information
Website for the Danish Ministry of Education:
http://us.uvm.dk/gymnasie/almen/lov/?menuid=150555