| Summary: | Upper-secondary schools in Iceland are obligated to offer education to everyone under the age of 18, who has finished compulsory school. The greater part of these students then continue and complete their matriculation examinations (i. Stúdentspróf). During the past few decades, there have been both socio-economic and policy changes in Iceland, leading to an increase in the number of students attending uppersecondary school. The increase has also been fuelled by neoliberal and transnational policy forces which have influenced the educational system. The aim of this research is to study working conditions of teachers and supervisors, focusing on; a) whether, and then how, their conditions have changed during the past twenty years, b) whether, and then how, the ideas of those who were interviewed were influenced by the school’s social context and market value and c) whether there was a noticeable difference between teachers and supervisors in how they experienced this change at their schools.In 1999 a new main curriculum policy for upper-secondary schools was implemented. Among changes made was the reduction of academic tracks down to three. In 2008 laws were passed that required upper-secondary schools to revise every stage and study-track and made it compulsory for the upper-secondary education system to accept everyone under the age of 18 who had finished primary school. Additionally, these laws allowed for a reduction of units required to finish upper-secondary school. Recently, the minister of education changed the studying time required for matriculation exam, from four years to three. Apart from formal policy changes there have been transformative social and educational changes regarding technical innovations, smart phones and interconnection programmes of all kinds which have encouraged individualisation in learning.Neoliberalism has shaped educational policy and practice in Iceland in step with the Nordic countries, emphasizing marketization, neo-managerialism, choices and individual risks and ...
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