How you diagnose problems — systematically
From basic course to qualified educational assistant — step by step
When you want to be a pedagogical assistant you follow the classical path for a vocational education: you alternate between going to school and being in practical training (apprenticeship) at a real workplace — for example a daycare center kindergarten SFO or group home. The idea is you learn theory at school and use it right away with children young people or adults and take questions from daily life back to teaching. It makes the education very practical and you get paid in large parts of the course.
§The basic course — your start
Basic training is divided into two: basic course 1 and basic course 2. If you come more or less directly from 9th or 10th grade, you normally start in basic course 1, which lasts about half a year. Here you get a taste of the main area Care, health and education and find out if the direction suits you. If more time has passed since you left primary school, you can normally skip directly into basic course 2.
Basic course 2 also lasts about 20 weeks and is where you are really directed towards the educational trade. You work with topics such as communication, documentation, hygiene, ergonomics, educational activities, digital media, health promotion, inclusion and conflict management. The basic course is completed with a basic course test, which you must pass to be able to continue.
§Main course — where you become skilled
The main course is the major part of the training and begins when you have a training agreement with an employer — typically a municipality. In the main course you alternate between training at the workplace and several school periods. The professional committee describes that the main course contains approximately 47 weeks of school spread over at least three school periods, while the rest of the time is in practical work. At school you work, among other things, with pedagogy, psychology, health, movement, nature, and outdoor life, as well as the core subjects that belong to it, such as Danish and social studies.
§Duration and alternation
The main course alone takes approximately two years and a couple of months. If you add basic course 2 — and for many also basic course 1 — the total journey comes to approximately three years. You should especially remember that school and practical work are deliberately alternated, so you can constantly link theory and practice. This is one of the strengths of a vocational training: you don't just have theoretical knowledge but have tried it in reality.
| Part 1 · The trunk | Approximate duration | Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Basic course 1 | Ca. ½ år | School |
| Basic course 2 | Approx. 20 weeks | School |
| Main course | Ca. 2 år og et par mdr. | Alternates between practical training and approx. 47 weeks of school |
§Admission and access requirements
To enter basic course 2 you normally must have passed Danish and mathematics with at least grade 02 on average from primary school's leaving exam, or otherwise meet the academic level. If you don't meet the requirement directly, an entrance exam and interview can be the way in. To start the main course you must both have passed basic course 2 and have a training agreement with an employer.
There is also an eux variant where you combine the pedagogical subject with upper secondary subjects and thus both become skilled and get study competence on top. That path takes longer but opens more possibilities for further education afterwards.