2024

There have been no reforms.

2023

Agreement about limiting the use of screens and digital tools in ECEC

November 2023

The government and a broad majority of the Danish Parliament has entered into an agreement about limiting the use of screens in ECEC through a change in the legislation.

The agreement does not impose a ban on the use of screens, but ensures a more restrictive approach to the use of digital tools such as computers, TV, mobile phones and tablets in the pedagogical work with the children.

The government and parties of the opposition agree on the following principles for the use of screens in ECEC in the forthcoming legislation:

• ECEC for children aged 0-2 years: Digital tools can only be used in the pedagogical work in certain situations. For instance, in the pedagogical work with children with disabilities;
• ECEC for children aged 3-5 years: Digital tools can only be used in the pedagogical work if it can be substantiated by professional arguments.

Prior to the agreement, in October 2023, the Danish Health Authority presented its recommendations on children’s use of screens, including that children under the age of two should not use screens without active interaction with an adult.

In February 2024, the government will introduce a bill on the basis of the agreement in the Danish Parliament. The final act is expected to come into force in July 2024.

For more information (in Danish), please visit the Ministry of Children and Education's website.

Funds for upgrading the pedagogical staff’s qualifications

June 2023

In 2020, the government entered into an agreement with four parties in the Danish Parliament about staff-to-child ratios (the number of children per employee) in early childhood education and care. With the agreement, funds aimed at upgrading the qualifications of the pedagogical staff have been set aside from 2023 onwards. The purpose of the fund is to increase the professional standards in the day-care centres.

The implementation of the funds has now been determined. The agreement allocates 107 million DKK (14,359,176.5 euro) in 2023 and 195,9 million DKK (26,288,075.7 euro) annually from 2024 to 2030 to the fund for upgrading the pedagogical staff’s qualifications.

The funding is granted to the municipalities without prior application and based on the expected number of children in the municipalities in 2023.

The individual municipality determines how to use the funding on upgrading the staff’s qualifications. For instance, the municipalities can use the grant to cover expenses for tuition fees for the pedagogue training programme with award of credit for prior learning or study related expenses such as study material and transportation.

To monitor whether the funds result in an increase in the professional standards, an evaluation will be carried out in the middle of 2025, which will make adjustments possible if it proves necessary.

Minister for Children and Education wants to limit screen time in ECEC

June 2023

The Minister for Children and Education wants to amend the legislation so children aged 0-6 years are no longer exposed to screens when they attend ECEC. The objective of the proposal is to protect the children from potential negative consequences related to increased screen time. This includes the risk of a negative influence on their well-being and concentration difficulty.

According to a questionnaire among parents from 2022, the proportion of three-year-old children who spend more than one hour a day on a computer, tv, YouTube or iPad has increased from 29 per cent in 2009 to 52 per cent in 2021. The screens have also become a part of everyday life in day care centers and kindergartens.

The amended legislation is not to include the staff’s communication with the parents or the pedagogical work that does not involve the children such as staff meetings or the like. The staff’s use of screens to other administrative purposes will not be included either.

It is to be clarified further how the rules will be defined and administered.

In addition, the Minister for Children and Education wants to abolish existing initiatives that advance digitalization in the ECEC area. Among others, this includes The Network for Digital Technologies in ECEC established by The National Agency for Education and Quality.

The draft legislation is expected to be included in the government’s proposed measures for 2023-2024, which is published in connection with the opening of the Danish Parliament (Folketinget) in October 2023.

2022

There have been no reforms.