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Eurydice

EACEA National Policies Platform:Eurydice
Ongoing reforms and policy developments
Denmark

Denmark

14.Ongoing reforms and policy developments

Last update: 14 August 2024
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Structure of the chapter

This chapter provides a thematic and chronological overview of national reforms and policy developments since 2022. The web pages that follow group reforms in the following broad thematic areas:

  • Early childhood education and care

  • General school education

  • Vocational education and training

  • Higher education

  • Adult education and training

Inside each thematic area, reforms are organised chronologically. The most recent reforms are described first.

Government’s key objectives for education

In Denmark, it is unanimously agreed upon that education is based on a number of fundamental principles such as education for all, lifelong learning, high standards, relevance, active participation, and project work.

With regard to children of the compulsory education age, the Danish constitution specifically states that these children are entitled to tuition-free education in the Danish public school (Folkeskole).

The current government’s focus areas

After a general election, the new government presents the government platform, which describes the actions and reforms the government plans to adopt during the government’s term in office.

In the government platform, the government also sets forth focus areas, which will be specified as legislative proposals that eventually will appear from the government’s annual catalogue of legislative proposals for the coming parliamentary season. In the latest government platform from December 2022, the government emphasises several focus areas in education. Among these, the most important are:

  • Strengthening vocational upper secondary education programmes;

  • Continuing education and training for people with a vocational upper secondary education;

  • Ensuring more local autonomy to primary and lower secondary schools;

  • Restructuring up to 50 percent of the master’s degree programmes and establishing more part-time master’s degree programmes where students are employed alongside their studies;

  • Establishing new study places at part-time master’s degree programmes in English targeted areas with high demand for labour;

  • Proposing that students can only be awarded state education grants for the prescribed period of study for their higher education programme and that the maximum monthly study grants are reduced;

  • Introducing a new admissions system for higher education.

Every year on the first Tuesday in October when the Danish Parliament meets for a new parliamentary season, the prime minister addresses the state of the realm and presents the government’s plans, including legislative proposals, for the coming parliamentary season.

In addition to the prime minister’s speech, the government publishes a catalogue on the legislative proposals it intends to put forward in the coming parliamentary season. With the legislative proposals, the government transforms its general politics into specific initiatives.

References

Bibliography

Ministry of Higher Education and Science, 2024: Principles for education in Denmark. [Accessed 14 August 2024]

The Prime Minister’s Office (Statsministeriet), 2022: Responsibility for Denmark: The political basis for Denmark’s government (Ansvar for Danmark: Det politiske grundlag for Danmarks regering). [Accessed 14 August 2024]

The Prime Minister’s Office (Statsministeriet), 2023: Catalogue of legislative proposals for the parliamentary season 2023-2024 (Lovprogram for folketingsåret 2023-2024). [Accessed 14 August 2024]