2007 CoSN Delegation to Scandinavia Blog

As in many countries around the world, the election of political parties plays a very important role in how education policies will be implemented. Denmark finished a national election the day we arrived. With eight political parties and the fact that the prime minister can call an election at anytime, election time is particularly stressful and of high impact for education policy.

Denmark is considered a social welfare state…50% of all funding go to public support. The tax rate is 60% and then everything you buy has a 25% VAT. Interestingly enough, there is less than 1.5% of unemployment in the country. It comes as no surprise, that they are now importing foreign workers, because unemployment is at a 30 year low. It is no surprise, they are seeing a looming teacher shortage. What a study in contrast to Finland, where only 8% of the teachers that even apply to teaching college get accepted. Perhaps, Denmark should go to Finland to recruit teachers!

Education is free…all the way through university…where they pay students to go to school and all schooling is free, but at 18 you pay the amazing tax rate of 60%. Another interesting contrast to American life is at 18 – 19 years of age, students become independent and move out of the house. And about 50% of students go to the university.
Again, in contrast to our all-American system of testing, testing, testing, the Danish do not test. In their words, “We do not believe in national evaluation. We believe more in making suggestions for improvement…in having our students work towards a goal.”

Additionally, while teaching has been an individual project for each teacher in her class… that is changing. The PISA studies have brought discussions about how Danish students are not able to meet the international standards. There has been discussion about this and people do not think this is the “Danish way” so there is much resistance to this. However, as result of the lack of attention to skills, there are people in Denmark that are functionally illiterate….again while Finland and Sweden tout the fact that their populations are 100% literate. The Danish national government has decided to focus more on students knowing the facts. They want to maintain the creativity and innovation….a bedrock belief in Danish culture, but not at the expense of the main content areas…so national tests began in 2007.

It appears the classes in Denmark are much less structured that those in Sweden and Finland. The focus is on students being independent learners. The students while working in content areas they really work cross curricular. And while Denmark has just been hailed as the country having an “E-readiness” index of number 1 in the world and is the most networked country in the world…..there is still great digital illiteracy. There is much work to be done in this area. Denmark is a country in the throes of educational change. In the Nordic world they are seeking to maintain the values of the Danish way, yet knowing they must compete and keep up with their near-neighbors of Finland and Sweden….and now the Americans who came to visit one cold, snowy week in November!

Nicolai Arvedsen
Head of Section, Danish Ministry of Education, Department of Primary, Lower Secondary and General Adult Education