Even though the Danish school system is mostly characterised by public schools, there is also a long tradition of private education in Denmark. Private provision is particularly important in early childhood education and care, primary and lower secondary education, general upper secondary education and adult education.

Most private provision in the formal education system is government-dependent private provision. This means that institutions are privately established and self-governing, but receive public subsidies if they meet statutory conditions. Fully private provision also exists, especially in adult education and in private programmes outside the publicly recognised education system. These programmes are normally financed by participant fees, employers or private organisations.

Private education is regulated differently across education levels. The following sections describe the main forms of private provision, public financial support, approval procedures and supervision.

Early childhood education and care

Types of private provision

At early childhood education and care (ECEC) level, private provision includes privately operated day-care institutions and private childcare arrangements. Private providers operate within the framework of the Act on Day Care Facilities and must be approved by the municipality.

Private ECEC settings may be established as independent institutions. Free private primary and lower secondary schools may also establish nurseries and kindergartens. This makes it possible for some schools to offer coherent provision from early childhood to compulsory education.

Public institutions account for the majority of institutions. Information on the number of public and private ECEC institutions can be found in chapter 1.8.

Public funding and parental payment

Public financial support is administered by the municipality. The specific funding model depends on the type of provision and the approval status of the provider.

Parents normally pay fees for ECEC, including in private settings. The fee level and public subsidy depend on the local arrangements and the type of institution.

Approval and supervision

Municipalities approve private ECEC provision and are responsible for supervision. Supervision covers whether the setting complies with the legal framework, including requirements on children’s well-being, development, learning and safety.

Primary and lower secondary education

Free private schools

At primary and lower secondary level, private education is mainly provided by free private schools (frie grundskoler). These include independent schools, private schools and small schools based on different pedagogical, religious, political or cultural traditions.

Free private schools are government-dependent private institutions. They are legally independent, but receive public grants and are regulated by the Act on Private Independent Schools and Private Primary and Lower Secondary Schools etc.

Public schools account for the majority of schools. Information on the number of public and private primary and lower secondary schools can be found in chapter 1.8.

Educational freedom and statutory requirements

Free private schools have broad pedagogical and organisational freedom. They may organise teaching according to their own values and educational approach.

However, their teaching must measure up to what is normally required in the municipal primary and lower secondary school (folkeskole). Pupils leaving year 9 must therefore have received teaching that gives them the same opportunities to continue in the education system as pupils from the public folkeskole.

Free private schools must also comply with requirements on freedom and democracy and democratic formation.

Establishing a new free private school

A new free private school that wishes to receive state subsidies must notify and apply for approval from the Ministry of Education.

The application must normally include information on the initiative group, expected pupil numbers, the school’s organisation and other material required for the ministry’s assessment. The initiative group must also pay a deposit before the school starts.

Public grants

Free private schools receive state subsidies. These include operational grants and other forms of support, depending on the school’s activities and pupil composition.

Grants are calculated mainly on the basis of pupil numbers and reported activity. Schools must submit the information required by the Ministry of Education for grant calculation and adjustment.

Supervision

Free private schools are supervised through several mechanisms.

Parents normally elect one or more certified supervisors. Alternatively, a school may use an approved self-evaluation model.

The Ministry of Education, through the Agency for Education and Quality, supervises compliance with legislation, educational quality and the use of public grants.

Upper secondary education

Private general upper secondary institutions

At general upper secondary level, private education is provided by private institutions for general upper secondary education. These institutions are government-dependent private institutions.

They are regulated by legislation on private institutions for general upper secondary education and are supervised by the Ministry of Education.

Public institutions account for the majority of institutions. Information on the number of public and private upper secondary education institutions can be found in chapter 1.8.

Public grants and reporting

Private general upper secondary institutions may receive state subsidies. Grants are based on reported educational activity.

Institutions must submit activity data and other documentation required by the ministry. This includes management and auditor declarations linked to grant calculation and financial accountability.

Educational and financial requirements

Private general upper secondary institutions must comply with the rules for the relevant general upper secondary programmes. This includes requirements on teaching, examinations, quality assurance and financial reporting.

The Agency for Education and Quality supervises compliance with the conditions attached to grants and with other statutory requirements.

Vocational upper secondary education

There are no publicly funded private vocational upper secondary education institutions comparable to the private general upper secondary institutions.

Vocational upper secondary education is mainly provided by publicly regulated self-governing institutions within the public vocational education and training system.

Higher education and private programmes outside the public degree system

Limited private higher education sector

Higher education leading to publicly recognised Danish qualifications is mainly provided by public or publicly regulated self-governing higher education institutions. These include universities, university colleges, business academies, maritime institutions and artistic higher education institutions.

Private higher education in the narrow sense is therefore limited.

Private programmes outside the recognised degree system

Private education providers may offer programmes outside the publicly recognised degree system. These programmes are normally fully private and financed through tuition fees or private funding.

Such programmes are not automatically publicly recognised. They do not automatically give access to public student support, admission rights or credit transfer in public higher education.

Approval for state educational support

A private programme may apply to be approved for Danish state educational support (Statens Uddannelsesstøtte, SU).

The Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science makes the final decision. Only the education provider can submit the application. Approval depends on whether the programme meets the relevant conditions and whether educational policy, economic and labour market considerations support approval.

Level assessment of private programmes

Private education providers may also apply for a level assessment in relation to the Danish Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning.

A level assessment concerns the programme’s overall learning outcomes. It does not constitute public recognition of the programme and does not mean that the programme leads to a publicly recognised qualification. It also does not automatically give access to admission to public education or credit transfer.

However, a positive level assessment may support interaction between private and public education, for example in credit assessments or validation of prior learning.

Validity and procedure

The level assessment procedure is fee-based. The Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science assesses whether the programme meets formal requirements, including purpose, learning outcomes, completion history, teaching evaluation, learner assessment and certification.

If these requirements are met, the agency and external experts assess whether the learning outcomes correspond to the requested level in the qualifications framework. A positive level assessment is valid for four years.

Further information on types of higher education institutions can be found in chapter 6.1.

Adult education and training

Role of private providers

Private providers play a significant role in adult education and training. This is especially the case in non-formal learning, continuing training and employer-financed provision.

Fully private adult education is normally financed through participant fees, employers, organisations or private funds. Competences acquired through this type of provision are not automatically formally recognised.

Private providers in publicly regulated adult education

Private providers may also take part in publicly regulated adult education schemes if they meet the relevant conditions.

In the labour market training system (arbejdsmarkedsuddannelser, AMU), private education institutions may be approved as AMU providers. They may also deliver AMU through subcontracting agreements with approved AMU providers.

Subcontracting in AMU

Subcontracting allows private actors to provide AMU teaching without being approved as providers themselves.

However, the approved AMU provider remains responsible for compliance with the rules. Only the teaching task may be subcontracted. Administrative authority tasks, such as collecting participant fees and handling applications for adult vocational training allowance (VEU-godtgørelse), must remain with the approved provider.

Public support and recognition

A private course that is neither formally approved nor delivered in cooperation with an approved provider cannot activate adult vocational training allowance for participants.

Private adult education providers may therefore operate in three main ways:

• as fully private providers outside the publicly regulated system;
• as approved providers within a public scheme;
• as subcontractors to approved public or private providers.

Public support depends on the type of programme, the approval status of the provider and the learner’s eligibility under the relevant rules.

Information on adult education can be found in chapter 7.3 and chapter 7.4.