Statistics Iceland has published information on the operation of upper secondary schools during the school year 2004-2005. According to laws on upper secondary schools the annual school period for students should not be shorter than 9 months; thereof should teaching days not be fewer than 145. According to information from the upper secondary schools there were between 140 and 158 full-time teaching days during the school year 2004-2005. The average number of full-time teaching days was 145, which is one day fewer than during the previous school year. In addition the number of other teaching days was between 0 and 6 (with one exception), or 2 on the average. On average there were 3 more full-time teaching days for pupils in the spring than in the autumn semester.

A clause in a regulation on the operation of upper secondary schools states that the number of teaching and examination days should not be fewer than 175. In 16 schools there were fewer teaching and examination days than 175.

According to information from upper secondary schools there were between 14 and 34 days that were only used for examination and assessment, with one exception. On average 26 days were used for examinations and assessment, which is 1 day more than during the previous school year.

Teachers’ wage contracts presume a total of 175 teaching and examination days during the 9 month school period, and 4 additional working days outside of the 9 month school period. The total number of teachers’ working days in 2004-2005 turned out to be between 173 and 185. The average number of all teachers’ working days was 180, a reduction of 1 day from the school year 2003-2004. Thereof 176 days on average were during the annual school period.

Information on the number of teaching days, examination days and other teachers’ working days was obtained from 34 upper secondary schools.