School & Recreation Council

The School & Recreation Council acts under the authority of City Council as detailed in the Resolution on the School and Recreation Council, the Resolution on the Management of Reykjavík City and City Council Minutes, No 1020/2019 and as required by law, cf. also Article 37 of Act No 138/2011 on Local Authorities.

The School & Recreation Council makes the children's education policies in the City of Reykjavík's preschools and primary schools and on the recreational activities of children and youth. The School & Recreation Council also makes a policy on music education for children and youth and a social education policy. The School & Recreation Council makes decisions and recommendations to the City Council in its field of work. Furthermore, the Council oversees that the City's resolutions and policy making in education and recreational activities are followed and monitors the quality of school activities and other activities within its scope. The Council also carries out other tasks as determined by the City Council.

In order to pursue the above objectives, the School & Recreation Council has undertaken, among other things, the following activities:

1. Makes proposals to the City Executive Council regarding Reykjavík City's policy in school and recreational activities.
2. Monitors compliance with the provisions of laws and regulations, including the provisions of Act No 90/2008 on Preschool, Act No 91/2008 on Compulsory School and related regulations, and makes recommendations to City Council for improvement.
3. Follows up that all children in compulsory school, whore are entitled to attend school in Reykjavík, are provided with compulsory education.
4. Monitoring the implementation of learning and teaching in Reykjavík and making recommendations to the principal and/or the City Council for improvements in school activities. Validates the annual operation plans for preschools, primary schools, and recreation centers and the school curriculum for individual preschools and primary schools.
5. Monitoring and helping to ensure that students and schools are guaranteed access to specialist services.
6. Supervising the operation and work of Reykjavík's preschools and primary schools, recreation and youth centers, and Reykjavík's after-school programs. Supervising service contracts with independent preschools, primary schools, music schools, and other schools that benefit from City of Reykjavík funding.
7. Making sure that preschools, primary schools, recreational and youth centers, and City run after-school programs have adequate housing and other facilities. Proposing to the City Executive Council the establishment and location of operational units under the department.
8. Granting licenses for the operation of independently run preschools. Supervising the provision of childcare in Reykjavík according to the Municipalities' Social Services Act, No. 40/1991, and regulations based on the Act, and also sets policy in this field.
9. Supervising payments to day parents
10. Supervising the activities of school orchestras.
11. Overseeing the operations of The Adult Educational Center of Reykjavík City.
12. Following up on the implementation of Article 47 of the Upper Secondary Education Act, No. 92/2008, concerning the establishment and construction of upper secondary schools.
13. Making proposals to the City Executive Council about service fees.
14. Making proposals to the City Executive Council about financial contributions to the operators of private preschools, primary schools, and music schools, and initiates the drafting of rules and agreements concerning this.
15. Making proposals to the City Executive Council about financial contributions for home-based child care and initiates the drafting of rules concerning this.
16. Promotes links and partnerships between schools, such as preschools, primary schools, secondary schools and music schools, as well as partnerships between preschools, primary schools, recreation centers, youth centers, after-school programs, and music schools.
17. Appoints representatives from Reykjavík City to the school boards/boards of music schools, as per Article 3 of the Act on Financial Support to Music Schools No. 75/1985.

The School & Recreation Council processes, without the confirmation of the City Executive Council, the following tasks according to the authority in the first paragraph of Article 42 of Act No 138/2011 on Local Authorities:

• a. Granting licenses for the operation of independently operated preschools, as per Article 25 of the Act on Preschool, No. 90/2008.
• b. The location of special education departments
• c. The location of inclusive classes
• d. The merging of after-school programs due to the establishment of a joint after-school program.

The School & Recreation Council annually grants several rewards to highlight exemplary performance in school and recreational work.

The School & Recreation Council is composed of seven members elected by the City Council and an equal number of alternates. City Council elects a chair who shall be a City Councilor. The term of office of the Council is the same as that of City Council.

Representatives of preschool and primary school principals, teachers in primary schools, staff in preschools, and parents in preschools and primary schools have the right to attend the council meetings with the right to speak and make proposals. The representative of recreation center directors and the representative of the Youth Council of Reykjavík also have the right to attend the council meetings with the right to speak and make proposals.

• Regulations for the School & Recreation Council
• Minutes of the School & Recreation Council

Observers:

• Representative of the principal: Arndís Steinþórsdóttir
• Representative of preschool principals: Guðrún Jóna Thorarensen
• Teacher representative: Jón Ingi Gíslason
• Representative of preschool staff: Linda Ósk Sigurðardóttir
• Representative of recreation center directors: Helgi Eiríksson
• Representative of primary school parents: Áslaug Björk Eggertsdóttir
• Representative of parents of preschool children: Albína Huld Pálsdóttir
• Representative of the City of Reykjavík Council for Youth: Leona Iguma and Þröstur Flóki Klemensson

Observers' deputies:

• Alternate of the principal's representative: Þóranna Rósa Ólafsdóttir
• Alternate of the preschool director's representative: Guðrún Gunnarsdóttir
• Alternate teacher representative: Kristín Björnsdóttir
• Alternate preschool staff representative: Sigurlaug Vigdís Einarsdóttir
• Alternate of the recreation center directors’ representative: Guðrún Kaldal
• Alternate representative of primary school parents: Ragnheiður Davíðsdóttir
• Alternate representative of parents of preschool children: Berglind Anna Aradóttir
• Alternate representative of the City of Reykjavík Council for Youth: Úlfhildur Elísa Hróbjartsdóttir