Planning policy

There is no national planning policy. 

The employment of pedagogues and teachers in primary and lower secondary education is decentralised to the municipalities, which are responsible for the provision of early childhood education and care (ECEC) and primary and lower secondary education. As such, the individual municipality decides whether they want to adopt a planning policy or not.

Entry to the profession

In ECEC and primary and lower secondary education, the municipalities are responsible for employing pedagogues and teachers. In practice, the municipality can delegate the competence to employ pedagogues and teachers to the head at the individual day-care centre or school.

In upper secondary education, the schools are self-governing and employ their own staff.

Generally, the recruitment procedure that is used is open recruitment, where the municipality/school advertises the vacant positions on relevant fora and pedagogues and teachers apply for the job.

Induction

In the education programmes for pedagogues and teachers, there are centrally determined requirements about practical work experience during the education programme. 

The employers (the municipalities) are responsible for supporting newly qualified teachers. The interest organisation for the 98 municipalities, Local Government Denmark (KL), has published a catalogue with inspiration for the municipalities and schools on how to support newly qualified teachers in their transition from education to employment. The catalogue is written by the Danish Evaluation Institute (EVA) and provides examples of support for newly qualified teachers. This could be introduction courses, mentor schemes, and observation of instruction.

There is no practical work experience in the education programmes for teachers in upper secondary education. Instead, the graduate must complete the one-year professional postgraduate teacher training programme after having obtained his or her master’s degree. The professional postgraduate teacher training programme provides the graduate with competences to teach in upper secondary education and is completed at the school where the graduate is employed. The graduate completes the programme under guidance.

For more information on the professional postgraduate teacher training programme, please visit chapter 9.1. 

Professional status

Pedagogues and teachers are appointed in accordance with general employment legislation on a contractual basis. They can be employed on indefinite or fixed term conditions.

The employer issues a letter of appointment which, among other things, includes information on job title, place of employment, expected duration if the employment is on fixed terms, working hours, and collective agreements.

If the pedagogue is employed for a shorter period than one month, he or she is will be employed as an hourly employee. If the teacher in primary and lower secondary education is employed for a period shorter than one month or with less than eight working hours a week, he or she will be employed as an hourly employee. 

Replacement measures

In the event of a pedagogue’s/teacher’s absence, both qualified and non-qualified pedagogues/teachers can replace the pedagogue/teacher for a temporary period.

According to a report by the Danish Center For Social Science Research from 2019, it varies how different kinds of teacher absence are covered by the school. Unplanned, short-term absence is often covered by non-qualified substitute teachers, whereas long-term absence often is covered by another permanently employed pedagogue or teacher.

Supporting measures

There are no national supporting measures for pedagogues or teachers. 

The individual municipality/school decides on its own supporting measures. There are different ways to support the teacher during his or her instruction. For instance, by using dual teacher arrangements or teaching assistants.

Salaries

The national salary scale and additional national salary regulations are decided by collective agreements between the national authorities for public employers and the national pedagogue/teacher unions. 

In ECEC, the collective agreement is negotiated between Local Government Demark and the Danish Union of Early Childhood and Youth Educators. In primary and lower secondary education, the collective agreement is negotiated between Local Government Denmark and the Confederation of Teachers Unions. In upper secondary education, the collective agreement is negotiated between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish National Union of Upper Secondary School Teachers.

Pedagogues

Pedagogues’ salary consists of four elements:

1. A basic salary that covers the functions newly appointed pedagogues are expected to perform. The basic salary is made up of salary scales and a basic salary supplement;

2. A function-based salary supplement for responsibility and functions that goes beyond what is covered by the basic salary. This could be managerial tasks or tasks related to the position as union representative;

3. A qualification-based salary supplement for completion of further education or experience with certain tasks;

4. A result-based salary for the fulfilment of qualitative or quantitative objectives.

In addition, pedagogues receive allowances for work during evenings, weekends, and public holidays.

Pedagogues employed on an hourly basis receive an hourly salary of 1/1924 of the annual salary that the employee would have received if he or she was employed permanently in the same position.

Teachers in primary and lower secondary education

Teachers in primary and lower secondary education can be employed according to the basic salary scheme or the seniority scheme (a personal scheme). It is no longer possible to be employed according to the seniority scheme and all newly appointed teachers are employed according to the basic salary scheme.

A majority of all teachers are employed according to the basic salary scheme. In this salary scheme, the teacher’s salary consists of four elements:

1. A basic salary that is agreed upon in the collective agreement;

2. A job-based salary supplement that depends on the functions that the teacher performs;

3. A qualification-based salary supplement that depends on the individual teacher’s qualifications such as education or experience;

4. A result-based salary supplement that depends on the fulfilment of qualitative or quantitative objectives, which are agreed upon locally.

The salary is divided into salary scales, where a higher salary scale leads to a higher salary. After four, eight, and 12 years of employment respectively, the teacher ascends to a higher salary scale and receives a higher salary. In addition, the salary depends on which of the five areas the teacher is employed in.

The salaries for teachers employed as hourly employees are determined in the collective agreement. Their hourly salaries appear from the table below.

Salaries for teachers employed on an hourly basis

Teachers in upper secondary education

The salary for teachers in upper secondary education consists of a basic salary and salary supplements. The basic salary is divided into five salary scales, where a higher salary scale leads to a higher salary. The teachers are placed on one of the five salary scales depending on their education and seniority.

In addition to the basic salary, the teachers receive function-based and qualification-based salary supplements. These are agreed upon both centrally, between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish National Union of Upper Secondary School Teachers, and locally at the individual school. In addition, the schools can arrange supplementary result-oriented salaries.

For more information on teachers’ salaries and allowances, please consult the Eurydice report Teachers' and school heads' salaries and allowances in Europe 2021/2022. 

Working time and holidays

Working time

The average number of working hours for full-time employed pedagogues and teachers are 37 hours a week. Annually, this sums up to 1924 hours. This includes both care/instruction and preparation of activities/classes. Lessons usually have a duration of 45 minutes. 

In primary and lower secondary education, the number of teaching hours differ depending on the form level. There are mandatory minimum hours of instruction in the subjects Danish, Mathematics, and History, whereas there are guiding minimum hours of instruction in the remaining subjects. Thus, the number of teaching hours may also differ from school to school. For more information on instruction time, please visit chapter 5.2.

In upper secondary education, the number of teaching hours differ depending on the general upper secondary education programme. The minimum number of teaching hours appear from the table below.

Number of teaching hours in general upper secondary education

According to the collective agreement for teachers in upper secondary education, teachers aged 60 and above are entitled to reduced working hours of up to 175 hours a year for the equivalent decrease in salary.

Holidays

Pedagogues and teachers are covered by the Holiday Act, which entitles employees to six weeks of paid holiday every year. 

In general, the schools expect that the teachers place five of the six weeks during the school holidays when the schools are closed.

Promotion, advancement

There is no automatic promotion to management functions in ECEC or school education.

Mobility and transfers

There is no national regulation regarding mobility and transfers of teachers between schools.

Pedagogues and teachers in primary and lower secondary schools are employed by the municipality and not the individual school, meaning that the pedagogue/teacher can be transferred to another school in the municipality. The pedagogue/teacher can transfer to another school at their own or the municipality’s request.

Dismissal

The regulation regarding the dismissal of pedagogues and teachers is the same as for other employees.

The employer must notify the pedagogue/teacher and the pedagogue’s/teacher’s organisation in writing about the dismissal and the reasons for the dismissal. Reasons for dismissal could, among other things, be workforce reduction, collaboration difficulties, or dissatisfaction with the pedagogue’s/teacher’s work. 

The notice of dismissal varies depending on the length of employment. 

If the pedagogue or teacher wishes to leave his or her position, he or she must notify the employer one month prior to leaving.

Retirement and pensions

The retirement conditions and pensions are determined in accordance with the collective agreements for pedagogues, teachers in primary and lower secondary schools, and teachers in upper secondary schools respectively.

When pedagogues and teachers are appointed, a personal pension is created for them. Every month, the employer and employee each pay an amount to the pedagogue’s/teacher’s personal pension. It is possible for pedagogues/teachers to draw their pension before they reach the official retirement age (please see below). When this is possible depends on when the pension was created. However, the earliest age at which the pedagogue/teacher can draw his or her personal pension is 60.

Pedagogues and teachers, like everybody else, are entitled to state pension when they have reached the retirement age. The retirement age depends on the date of birth. For example, if the pedagogue/teacher is born after 1 January 1964, the retirement age is 68 years.

References

Bibliography

Danish Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment (Styrelsen for Arbejdsmarked og Rekruttering), 2024: Retirement age now and in the future (Folkepensionsalderen nu og fremover). [Accessed 2 April 2024]

Danish Center for Social Science Research (Det Nationale Forsknings- og Analysecenter for Velfærd), 2019: Substitute teachers in the Folkeskole (Vikarer i folkeskolen). [Accessed 2 April 2024]

Danish National Union of Upper Secondary School Teachers (Gymnasieskolernes Lærerforening), 2023: Dismissed (Afskediget). [Accessed 2 April 2024]

Danish Union of Early Childhood and Youth Educators (Børne- og Ungdomspædagogernes Landsforbund), 2024: Dismissal (Afskedigelse). [Accessed 2 April 2024]

Danish Union of Early Childhood and Youth Educators (Børne- og Ungdomspædagogernes Landsforbund), 2023: Understand your salary (Forstå din løn). [Accessed 2 April 2024]

Danish Union of Teachers (Danmarks Lærerforening), 2023: Teacher in the folkeskole (Lærer i folkeskolen). [Accessed 2 April 2024]

European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice, 2023: Teachers’ and school heads’ salaries and allowances in Europe 2021/2022 – Eurydice – Facts and figures. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. [Accessed 2 April 2024]

Lifeindenmark.dk, 2024: State Pension. [Accessed 2 April 2024]

Local Government Denmark (Kommunernes Landsforening), 2023: Inspiration for support for newly qualified teachers (Inspiration til støtte til nyuddannede lærere). [Accessed 2 April 2024]

Ministry of Children and Education (Børne- og Undervisningsministeriet), 2023: The responsibility of the municipality (Kommunens ansvar). [Accessed 2 April 2024]

Teachers’ pension (Lærernes Pension), 2024: When can you draw your pension? (Hvornår kan du få pension?). [Accessed 2 April 2024]

Legislation and Official Policy document

Danish Agency for Employees and Competence (Medarbejder- og Kompetencestyrelsen), 2024: Circular Letter on Collective Agreement for teachers and pedagogical leaders in upper secondary education institutions (Cirkulære om overenskomst for lærere og pædagogiske ledere ved gymnasieskoler mv.). [Accessed 2 April 2024]

Legal Information (Retsinformation), 2017: Act on legal matters between employers and salaried employees (Bekendtgørelse af lov om retsforholdet mellem arbejdsgivere og funktionærer), LBK no. 1002 of 24/08/2027. [Accessed 2 April 2024]

Legal Information (Retsinformation), 2024: Act on the Folkeskole (Bekendtgørelse af lov om folkeskolen), LBK no. 90 of 29/01/2024. [Accessed 2 April 2024]

Legal Information (Retsinformation), 2024: Act on upper secondary education programmes (Bekendtgørelse af lov om de gymnasiale uddannelser), LBK no. 41 of 12/01/2024. [Accessed 2 April 2024]

Local Government Denmark (Kommunernes Landsforening), 2021: Collective agreement for pedagogues in day-care centers, school-based leisure time facilities, youth clubs etc. (Overenskomst for pædagoger ved daginstitutioner, skolefritidsordninger, klubber mv.). [Accessed 2 April 2024]

Local Government Denmark (Kommunernes Landsforening), 2021: Collective agreement for teachers etc. in the Folkeskole and special needs education for adults (Overenskomst for lærere m.fl. i folkeskolen og ved specialundervisning for voksne). [Accessed 2 April 2024]