2024

Expert group is to recommend new regulation for inclusion and special needs education

September 2024

Today, more and more pupils are offered special needs education and many teachers experience that an increasing number of pupils need support in mainstream education. As a result, stakeholders have expressed wishes for a greater focus on preventive early efforts and less focus on individual support to individual pupils in the regulation on inclusion and special needs education. 

Against this background, the Minister for Children and Education has set up an expert group to recommend new regulation on inclusion and special needs education. The purpose of the new regulation is to ensure that more pupils can develop and thrive in mainstream education.

Specifically, the expert group will examine:

• The regulation regarding referral to special needs education, including the threshold for when support can be defined as special needs education;

• The regulation regarding the pedagogical psychological assessment which is used today when the school head finds that a pupil needs more than nine hours of support a week;

• The regulation regarding teaching of children with illnesses and how the current regulation is applied in practice.

The expert group is set up as part of the political agreement on a reform of the primary and lower secondary education from March 2024. The expert group will present its recommendations in the first quarter of 2025.

For more information (in Danish), please consult the expert group’s mandate: Kommissorium for lovforberende ekspertgruppe om regler på inklusions- og specialundervisningsområdet. 

Initiatives to strengthen the effort against antisemitism

June 2024

In light of a rise in the number of antisemitic incidents, a unanimous Danish Parliament has agreed upon 12 initiatives to strengthen the effort against antisemitism. The 12 initiatives are a supplement to the action plan against antisemitism from January 2022.

The 12 initiatives cover the following four focus areas:

1. Criminal law provisions;

2. Online antisemitism;

3. School and education;

4. Research and knowledge.

Within the third focus area on school and education, initiatives include:

• A public grant to the Jewish Information Centre to disseminate knowledge of their material and activities for primary and lower secondary schools and upper secondary schools throughout Denmark. In addition, the initiative allows for a more permanent instruction in Jewish culture, religion, and history in the synagogue in Copenhagen;

• An examination of conflict management in schools following the Hamas terror attack on October 7, 2023. The examination will result in recommendations, courses, and inspiration for teachers and other professionals managing these types of challenges;

• Development of teaching material about antisemitism to teachers at the teacher training programme and the pedagogue training programme. The purpose of the initiative is to ensure that teachers and pedagogues have a sufficient and comprehensive understanding of antisemitism;

• Funds for study trips at upper secondary education programmes that include activities focusing on Holocaust. For instance, this could be visits to former concentration camps. As far as possible, the funds are targeted classes at upper secondary schools with many students from families with a low total income and where a certain amount of the students reside in vulnerable residential areas.

Some of the initiatives will be implemented in the second half of 2024, while other initiatives will be implemented in 2025 as these require legislative changes.

For more information (in Danish), please consult the text of agreement: Aftale om en styrket indsats mod antisemitism. 

Political agreement extends special regulations for displaced Ukrainian children and young people

May 2024

The current special regulations are set to expire in August 2024, but a unanimous Danish Parliament has entered into a political agreement that extends the special regulations for displaced Ukrainian children and young people. The agreement ensures that the municipalities continue to enjoy flexibility so they can adjust the reception of displaced Ukrainian children and young people to local needs.

The agreement entails that all special regulations within the Ministry of Children and Education’s area, except one, are extended to March 2025. The only regulation that discontinues is the opportunity to establish special ECEC and special primary and lower secondary education. At present, displaced Ukrainian children and young people are increasingly enrolling in general ECEC and general primary and lower secondary education. Very few municipalities make use of the opportunity to establish special ECEC and special primary and lower secondary education.

Furthermore, regulation from within the Ministry of Immigration and Integration’s area ensures that Ukrainian children and young people can continue to receive instruction in Ukrainian and attend virtual instruction from Ukraine. In this way, displaced children and young people from Ukraine can maintain a connection to their homeland.

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

Agreement about the primary and lower secondary school to ensure more local autonomy

March 2024

Following the government’s green paper on a reform of the primary and lower secondary school from October 2023, the Danish government and four opposition parties have entered into an agreement about the primary and lower secondary school. The purpose of the agreement is to free the public primary and lower secondary school (Folkeskolen) from requirements and regulations and ensure more practical instruction and freedom of choice for the eldest pupils.

The agreement includes a total of 33 initiatives under the following three headlines:

1. Less national regulation and more local autonomy;

2. Freedom of choice in relation to subjects and more practical instruction for the eldest pupils;

3. An inclusive classroom environment, including special needs education and classroom management.

Among the 33 initiatives, the ten most significant include:

• DKK 2.6 billion for investments in improved, specialised classrooms and environments that encourage play;

• DKK 540 million for investments in books to reduce the use of screens and digital tools in the instruction and strengthen the joy of reading;

• A shorter school day for the youngest pupils and an increase in the hours allocated to optional subjects to ensure more practical instruction and freedom to choose for the eldest pupils;

• The number of final examinations is reduced from eight to six;

• The number of binding objectives for the instruction is reduced to ensure autonomy for the individual teacher when he or she plans the instruction;

• DKK 500 million is set aside annually to initiatives supporting the ten per cent of pupils who have the biggest challenges in the subjects Danish and mathematics;

• All pupils in form level eight and nine are offered the opportunity to attend a practical-oriented course in a business one or two days a week instead of following ordinary instruction in school these days (junior apprenticeship);

• Work experience for five days is made mandatory for all pupils to provide them with insight into their strengths and interests;

• Technology comprehension is prioritised in two ways:

  • The professional competence ‘technology comprehension’ is integrated in the existing subjects. It aims to provide the pupils with abilities to be critical and constructive towards digitisation and digital tools;

  • Technology comprehension is also offered as a new optional subject for the eldest pupils in form level 7-8.

In the autumn of 2024, the Minister for Children and Education will present the draft bills to Parliament regarding the initiatives that require a legislative change. At the earliest, these initiatives will come into force from 2025.

For more information (in Danish), please visit The Ministry of Children and Education. 

It is no longer a requirement to assess pupils’ readiness for upper secondary education

February 2024

A unanimous Danish Parliament has passed an act putting an end to assessments of pupils’ readiness for upper secondary education from the school year 2024/2025. This is in continuation of a task force that in March 2023 recommended that the assessment of pupils’ readiness for upper secondary education be dropped. According to the task force, the assessments do not have the desired effects and can have a negative impact on the pupils’ self-image and well-being.

The termination of the centrally set assessments entails that pupils no longer will be assessed based on their social, personal, and academic prerequisites for starting and completing an upper secondary education programme. Instead, school heads, teachers, and guidance counsellors have local autonomy to organise a guidance process that takes into consideration the individual pupil and his/her needs.

To ensure that pupils continue to receive the teaching and guidance they need to choose, start, and complete an upper secondary education programme, the requirements for the municipal guidance plans are tightened.

For more information (in Danish), please visit The Ministry of Children and Education. 

2023

Recommendations for screen time and the use of digital tools in upper secondary education

December 2023

In light of the increased political focus on the use of screens and digital tools in ECEC and schools, The National Agency for Education and Quality under the Ministry of Children and Education has published recommendations for screen time and the use of digital tools in upper secondary education.

The purpose of these recommendations is to create a framework for dialogue about how the individual school can address challenges regarding the use of digital tools in the instruction and achieve an appropriate balance between digital and analogue instruction. The recommendations are based on a precautionary principle as the long-term consequences of children’s and young people’s increasing use of digital tools are not sufficiently well-documented.

The National Agency for Education and Quality has published 12 recommendations to the school management at the upper secondary schools:

1. Set the direction regarding the use of screens and digital tools at the schools;

2. Involve the teachers and students in the dialogue about screens and digital tools;

3. Create an overview of the school’s screen time as a starting point for the dialogue;

4. Let focus on the use of screens and their impact on learning, well-being and community contribute to the students’ digital literacy;

5. Introduce principles for the use of mobile phones;

6. Block the access to irrelevant websites;

7. Let the computer be turned off when the instruction begins;

8. Use screens and digital tools to a lesser extent in group work;

9. Only use screens and digital tools when it is didactically and pedagogically appropriate;

10. Make more room for periods without screens and digital tools during the instruction;

11. Be aware of the students’ use of screens and digital tools when assigning them homework;

12. Create attractive alternatives to the digital tools during breaks and in social contexts. For instance, by purchasing of board games, table football or the like.

In the beginning of 2024, the National Agency for Education and Quality will also be publishing recommendations for primary and lower secondary education and leisure-time activities.

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

New digitalisation strategy: Improved IT competencies for all education levels

November 2023

The Danish government has presented a new digitalisation strategy, which includes initiatives at all levels in education. The strategy aims to ensure that the Danes’ digital competencies keep abreast with the rapid technological development.

The strategy addresses a number of future opportunities and challenges and how to overcome these. One of the challenges the new digitalisation strategy addresses is the shortage of employees with specialised IT competencies in the Danish business sector.

The strategy includes the following initiatives in the area of education:

• Introduction of a new optional subject in primary and lower secondary education called Technology comprehension. The purpose of the new subject is to provide the pupils with knowledge about digital tools and practical experience with the technology;

• Technology comprehension as a new core competence among teachers to ensure that the teachers are qualified to teach the pupils in technology comprehension;

• Improving the lecturers’ qualifications and developing the digital curriculum in higher education to improve the graduates’ digital knowledge, understanding and competencies;

• Strengthening the adult and continuing education and training activities within the IT area;

• Ensuring that the international students remain in Denmark after completing their education by strengthening the IT part-time master’s degree programmes, where the student works while studying.

For more information (in Danish), please visit The Ministry of Higher Education and Science. 

Government green paper on a reform of primary and lower secondary education

October 2023

The Danish government has presented a green paper on a reform of the primary and lower secondary education. The purpose of the reform is to strengthen and free the primary and lower secondary school (Folkeskolen) from a number of requirements and regulations.

On the basis of the green paper, the Minister for Children and Education will enter into a dialogue with practitioners, stakeholders and political parties. The first negotiations about the reform are expected to take place early next year.

The green paper focuses on five major areas:

1. An increase in local autonomy regarding local priorities in the Danish Folkeskole;
2. More instruction in practical subjects and greater freedom of choice for the eldest pupils;
3. An increase in the influence of the school boards;
4. A strengthening of the teachers’ competencies, for instance by improving the opportunities for further education and training;
5. A stronger sense of community in the classroom.

In the green paper, the government presents a large number of initiatives, including among others:

• Local school flexibility regarding the length of the school day, the organisation of the school day and reduction or increasement of instruction time;
• Local school flexibility regarding the national requirements on teacher qualifications;
• Local school flexibility regarding school curricula;
• Increasing the number of practical subjects;
• Decreasing the number of pupils per class in form level 0-2;
• Investments in specialised classrooms and the necessary facilities for practical and musical subjects;
• Junior apprenticeship in the final years of schooling. This entails that all pupils in form level 8 and 9 are offered the opportunity to attend a practical-oriented course in a business one or two days a week instead of following the ordinary instruction in school these days;
• Greater freedom of choice for pupils in form level 7-9 by introducing new optional subjects and increasing instruction time allocated to optional subjects;
• Improving the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of digital technology and informatics;
• Recommendations regarding the pupils use of digital tools/screens;
• Improving the guidance of pupils regarding education and their job opportunities;
• Experiments with practical tests/exams;
• The pupils’ well-being, including the strain due to tests;
• Educational-psychological advisory service;
• Improving the teachers’ CPD opportunities;
• Development of the teachers’ competencies in special educational assistance and class management.

For more information (in Danish), please visit The Ministry of Children and Education.

The government sets up a commission to examine the well-being of children and young people

August 2023

The Danish government has set up an expert commission to examine the well-being of children and young people after increasing challenges with declining well-being.

New figures indicate that although most children and young people are doing well, almost half of the young people aged 16-25 experience a degree of declining in their well-being, and an increasing number of children and young people feel lonely. At the same time, there has been a considerable increase in the use of social media among children and young people.

The commission, whose target group is children and young people aged 0-25 years, will look at four themes:

1. Communities and relations: The commission will examine how to provide a basis for close relations and positive communities in the everyday life of all children and young people, where they can be seen and receive support if they struggle;
2. Early efforts and prevention: The commission will examine how children and young people’s well-being can be enhanced through structural interdisciplinary efforts, including how children and young people with early signs of declining well-being can be identified and receive support;
3. Joy of life and robustness: The commission will examine how to create the prerequisites for all children and young people to develop resilience and a belief in their own abilities;
4. The good digital life: The commission will examine how children and young people’s digital life has an impact on their well-being, and how to improve their digital etiquette, security and safety.

In addition, the commission will examine the extent of and reasons for the declining well-being among children and young people. The commission will take into account possible differences depending on gender, social conditions and ethnicity.

The commission will present its recommendations continuously and must finish its work before the end of 2024 at the latest.

More than 5,000 Ukrainian children attend primary and lower secondary school

February 2023

According to the latest data from the Ministry of Children and Education, approximately 5,300 displaced children from Ukraine attended primary and lower secondary education in February.

Currently, more than 8,000 children and young people from Ukraine are residents in Denmark under the law on temporary residence permits for displaced persons from Ukraine (the Special Act). Among the more than 6,200 children and young people between the ages six and 16, approximately 5,300 are enrolled in primary and lower secondary schools.

This means that 86 per cent of the displaced Ukrainians between the ages six and 16 are enrolled in primary and lower secondary schools. They attend the following types of schools:

• 87 per cent attend public schools (Folkeskole);
• Eight per cent attend municipal youth schools;
• Two per cent attend private or private independent schools;
• One per cent attend specific educational offers to children and young people from Ukraine in accordance with the Special Act;
• One per cent attend special schools.

Furthermore, approximately 1,500 Ukrainian children between the ages zero and five are enrolled in early childhood education and care, which corresponds to 68 per cent of all the Ukrainian children between the ages zero and five residing in Denmark under the Special Act.

For more specific information (in Danish), please consult the key figures on displaced children and young people from Ukraine: Fordrevne børn og unge fra Ukraine med ophold efter særloven i dagtilbud og grundskoler i Danmark.

2022

New report from working group: Foreign languages continue to be challenged in the Danish education system

August 2022

In 2018, the former government set up a working group as part of the national foreign language strategy. In a recently published report, the working group follows up on the effects of the initiatives implemented within the framework of the national foreign language strategy as well as the general development in the foreign language area.

The working group consists of stakeholders and specialists from the foreign language area. The working group is to provide a status of the area annually.

The working group examines the development in foreign languages across the whole education system – primary and lower secondary education, general and vocational upper secondary education, EUX, primary and lower secondary teacher training programmes, and university education. The working group focuses on five themes in the report:

1. Problems regarding transitions in the education system;
2. Which foreign languages the schools offer and which foreign languages the pupils choose in primary and lower secondary education;
3. Which foreign languages the educational institutions offer and which foreign languages the students choose in upper secondary education and higher education, including the number of students that choose education programmes in foreign languages;
4. The quality of the educational programmes in foreign languages and the students’ academic level;
5. The labour market’s need of linguistic competences.

Overall, the working group finds that the foreign languages area continue to be challenged and the reforms of recent years have brought only a few improvements. Among other things, the working group’s report concludes that the variety of foreign languages education is limited in most of the education system.

For instance, the offer of the foreign language subjects French and German in primary and lower secondary education is geographically uneven. It is possible to choose German in all the 98 Danish municipalities, whereas it is possible to choose French in 67 municipalities. In addition, the proportion of students with foreign language subjects at level A in upper secondary education has declined.

In addition to the status on the initiatives in the national foreign language strategy and the general development in the foreign language area, the working group presents a number of recommendations on measures aimed at strengthening the area.

For more information (in Danish), please consult the report: Følgegruppens statusrapport for Strategi for styrelse af fremmedsprog i uddannelsessystemet 2021: Del I - Hoveddel.

Expert group is to examine the impact of gender on learning and development

June 2022

The Danish government wishes all children and youths, regardless of their gender, to have equal opportunities to become as skilled as they can. Yet, there are big differences between boys’ and girls’ academic results. Therefore, the Minister for Children and Education has set up an expert group to examine the reasons for gender differences in academic results in the education system.

The expert group is to examine the impact of the form, content and organisation of the instruction on the pupils’ learning and general motivation. Furthermore, the expert group is to identify if there are factors that contribute to the gender differences even before the children start in school. The work of the expert group is to result in recommendations on how to reduce the impact of gender in day care, primary and lower secondary education, and upper secondary education.

For instance, the recommendations can aim at the following themes:

• Content and measures in day care;
• Pedagogy and didactics;
• The form and organisation of the education;
• The content of the education;
• The teachers’ knowledge and competencies;
• Structural conditions such as legislation or the organisation of the education system.

As a basis for the work of the expert group, the Ministry of Children and Education has completed an analysis on the academic differences between boys and girls and how they develop during primary and lower secondary education and in the transition to upper secondary education. For one thing, the analysis illustrates an increasing difference between boys’ and girls’ results in the mandatory tests in the Danish public school’s leaving examination from 2008 to 2019. The analysis also illustrates that more girls than boys complete upper secondary education.

The expert group includes pupils, teachers, pedagogues, headmasters, representatives of the social partners, researchers with particular insight and knowledge within the area, and other stakeholders with a special focus on gender.

The expert group is to complete their work and report to the Minister for Children and Education by spring 2023.

New antisemitism action plan to increase knowledge about Holocaust and antisemitism in the schools

January 2022

In light of vandalism against Jewish burial sites, the Danish government has launched an action plan against antisemitism. The action plan is interdepartmental and includes 15 initiatives to prevent antisemitism taking root in Denmark. Five of the 15 initiatives aim at increasing children and youth’s knowledge of Holocaust and antisemitism. These five initiatives include:

1. Obligatory education in Holocaust in primary and lower secondary school and general upper secondary education;
2. Continuing and developing the education in the recollection of Holocaust and other genocides;
3. Preparing teachers to evade exclusion in the school;
4. Expanding youth-to-youth dialogue between religious beliefs;
5. More information on Jewish life and culture in Denmark.

The objective of the initiatives is to prepare pupils on how to resist antisemitism and other forms of discrimination. The purpose of the initiatives is to teach the pupils to interact in a diverse society and understand that their actions and statements can have negative implications for other people. The action plan obligates the educational institutions to ensure that the pupils obtain knowledge and skills, which remove prejudices and myths and call for tolerance and mutual respect between people. This includes working systematically with critical thinking, in relation to for example propaganda and fake news, and challenging extremist and xenophobic attitudes and values.

The action plan also encompasses other initiatives to prevent antisemitism including more research on antisemitism, prevention in specific environments, protection of Jews and Jewish institutions, improved instruction regarding anti-Semitic incidents and focus on the fight against antisemitism in the foreign policy.

For more information: Action plan against anti-Semitism.