Upper secondary school teachers

Holders of non-Danish teaching qualifications 

If you hold a teaching qualification enabling you to teach in upper secondary school in the country where you qualified, you can apply to the Danish Agency for Universities and Internationalisation for authorisation to teach in general upper secondary school, i.e. gymnasium, studenterkursus and HF, or technical and commercial upper secondary education, i.e. HHX and HTX.

You need to fill in this form:

• Application form for recognition of teaching qualifications.

If the agency recognises your qualification at once, you will receive a letter stating the types of teaching positions you have been approved to apply for.

In some cases, the agency gives conditional approval. In order to obtain final approval you must then fulfil one of the following requirements:

• Complete additional education as specified in the decision letter.

• Undergo an adaptation period at an upper secondary school (applies only to EU and EEA citizens). This period of employment may last up to two years, and you must work at least two-thirds of full-time. The adaptation period includes a course in didactics. The agency will inform you about the specific requirements for the adaptation period.

Once you have fulfilled the requirement, you must write to the agency and request final approval.

Persons without teaching qualifications

You can apply for a permanent teaching position at an upper secondary school (gymnasium, studenterkursus or HF-kursus, HHX or HTX) if the level of your qualification is comparable to Danish master's (kandidat) degree level and meets the competence requirements that apply to appointment as an upper secondary school teacher in Denmark. The competence requirements are laid down in the ministerial order on teaching qualifications for upper secondary school: Ministerial Order No. 139 of 23 February 2011 (in Danish).

The assessment of whether or not you fulfil the requirements is to be made by the Danish Agency for Universities and Internationalisation. You request such an assessment by filling in this form:

• Application form for recognition of teaching qualifications.

In order to maintain a permanent position you are required to pass pædagogikum (professional postgraduate teacher training) within one year of starting work.

If you want to teach vocational subjects in HHX or HTX, you need to have at least two years of relevant professional experience in addition to your educational qualification.

The nominal duration of the training position (pædagogikum) is one year and the position is paid. Information about pædagogikum is available at Uddannelsesguiden.dk (in Danish).

Other possibilities

You may apply for temporary jobs at upper secondary schools (gymnasium, studenterkursus or HF-kursus) as well as HHX and HTX without any authorisation from the Danish Agency for Universities and Internationalisation.

Language

Before hiring a foreign teacher the school principal must ensure that the teacher has the necessary knowledge of Danish (cf. the ministerial order on teaching qualifications for general upper secondary school, section 29 (4) og section 30 (2)).