Today the Efterskole is one of the fastest growing educational enterprises in Denmark, filling the gap between primary and secondary educational institutions and - more importantly - giving young people of 14-18 a chance to grow and develop in a residential school setting.
The key to an understanding of this success is the attraction and impact of the residential, educational and social environment to present-day youth in Denmark. The Efterskole has something to offer that the family, the municipal school, and Danish society is lacking.
The students give the following reasons for choosing to attend an Efterskole:
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a need to change to a new environment or to get a fresh start (Danish students often share the same teachers and classmates from form 1-9)
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a wish to meet new friends
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to improve the relationship with their parents
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an aspiration for personal development, improvement of selfconfidence
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a desire to come to a school with a certain political, religious or educational orientation
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a need to improve skills and knowledge of basic subjects
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a wish to try those subjects and extracurricular recreational activities offered by the Efterskole or to devote more time and energy to certain subjects e.g. music, theatre, and physical education
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a need to mature and become able to make a more qualified choice concerning future life and educational direction
Sidst opdateret den 8. juni 2009