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Møllegade 26
2200 København N
Danmark

Tel.: +45 35 37 11 11
Fax: +45 35 37 26 11
Email: da(at)detfri.dk
Website: www.detfri.dk

Name of contact person: David Simonsen

Year founded: 1970
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Number of students: 631
Age range of students: 14 – …
Number of staff: 79

Type of funding (government/private): 85% state/ 15% private

School Info Chart – Det frie Gymnasium

All decisions are taken by the weekly school meeting. Everyone has got one vote – students and staff.

Anyone can start a committee dealing with any topic. They discuss and propose changes or new rules at the school meeting or ask for funding for any purpose at the school meeting.

School Info Chart for Det frie Gymnasium

Question
Answer
What is the name of the school? Det frie Gymnasium
What is the address of the school? Møllegade 26, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
School’s phone number and website? Phone number: + 45 35 37 11 11 email: detfri.dk
School’s EUDEC contact person and e-mail? David Simonsen, dsimonsen@eudec.org William Byth, wbyth@eudec.org
What is the legal status of the school? Private school but 87,5 % is funded by the Danish government
When was the school founded? 1970
How many students are there? 700
Which student age groups are there? 14-30
How many (full-time equivalent) staff members? About 100
How many school hours per day and week? From 08.30-15.35 or 08.30-13.55
Interested in hosting interns? Yes
Interested in the EUDEC Diploma? yes
Interested in the EUDEC exchange program? Yes

 

Question
Three-Word Answer
Further Elaboration, Clarification or Qualification of the Answer
Does applicable law allow your school to follow the EUDEC definition of democratic education? Partially, not the entirely free learning part.
Do students have free choice of whether or not to participate in scholastic and other activities? No, due to Danish legislation we have to notate students’ absence.
Can students easily initiate and suggest scholastic and other activities? Yes
Can students offer, lead and run scholastic and other activities? Yes
Can students ‘vote’ on the school’s rules? Yes
Can students ‘vote’ on the consequences of breaking rules? Yes
Can students ‘vote’ on the use of spaces? Yes
Are there any compulsory activities for students? Yes Yes the lessons are compulsory
Who decides on the compulsory activities and who must participate? The ministry decides that students must attend classes, we decide the content/topic of the mandatory subjects.
Can students ‘vote’ on accepting and expelling other students? No
Can students be involved in the hiring and firing of staff members, including educational staff? In hiring, yes, not firing. Personal matters can’t be discussed at the school meeting.
Can students and staff equally participate in the decision making process? Yes
Does your school need to meet any curriculum imposed from outside of the school? Yes the ministry decides the curriculum, but there is some level of freedom within that curriculum.
How is student performance and progress monitored and graded? Evaluations in every subject every six months (both teachers and students get evaluated), and a grade six months within finishing your subject.
Can students ‘vote’ on managing and deciding the budget? Yes
Can students ‘vote’ on the infrastructure of the school? Yes
Can students ‘vote’ on the management structure of the school? Yes but a board is required by the state (but they don’t have any influence it’s merely symbolic)

School Description

Questions
Answers
How often do school meetings take place? Once a week
Which decision making bodies are there? The school meeting, class meetings, division meetings, committees
Who decides who is in which decision making body? It’s more or less up to the individual.
What is the parents’ role in school life? Nearly non-existing
What is the parents’ role in decision making? None
Who is financially and legally responsible for your school? The principal, the borad and the accountant
Who makes financial and legal decisions? The school meeting
What is the school building like? We have two buildings, very different. Lots of graffiti.
Is your school (partially or fully) a boarding school? No
From how far do most students come from? Depends from very nearby to very far away (up to 30 km)
In what kind of area is the school located? Near the city centre
How is the school funded? 87,5% is funded by the Danish government, the rest by tuition fees
Can students get a degree/diploma? yes
Is there any curriculum planning? Yes but mostly by teachers, students do, however, also participate in these.

Detailed information about exchange possibilities with this school

Number of students and staff; age range:
around 600 students aged 14-20

Describe the location/surroundings:
in urban Copenhagen close to the city center; 20-30 min. from the airport

Description of school’s concept:
we have obligatory classes and students take exams; yet we focus on personal/group projects and big assignments

Who decides whether or not a student can come for exchange:
our school meeting

Contact person:
William Boel Byth, willi_10@msn.com
David Simonsen, da@detfri.dk, +4531231450

How many students could you host:
For what duration:
What age-range would you welcome:
14-20

Do you have host-families:
would be able to find

What is the main/only language spoken at your school; what other languages are spoken:
Danish spoken in class; most students and teachers speak English; we have classes in French, German and Spanish

Would the exchange student have to pay tuition; could tuition be exchanged for a free exchange opportunity for students of your school at the school of your guest?:
yes

Are there any expenses for staying in the host family:
It would be the host family who would decide. But we have cheap breakfast/lunch at the school.

Can you provide basic info on daily expenses (food, transportation) in your city:
a meal is ~6€; a bus/train-ticket is 3€

Have you had previous experiences with student exchanges or hosting a student? what was positive/negative?:
We had a large amount of students for one week which went very well. We have little experience with longer periods, but would love to try.

Do you have experience with raising funds for travel expenses?:

Can you put down a holiday schedule for your school? Are there times when you wouldn’t welcome students:
We wouldn’t welcome students in the months right before the summer holiday.

Are you also interested in staff exchange? what are your ideas for such an exchange?: