Education Policy Outlook 2021

Denmark

Figure 5.9. Selected indicators of education resilience in Denmark

Self-reports of students, teachers or principals by percentage

 

 

Sources: OECD (2020_[1]), TALIS 2018 Results (Volume II): Teachers and School Leaders as Valued Professionals, TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/19cf08df-en; OECD (2020_[2]), "Learning remotely when schools close: How well are students and schools prepared? Insights from PISA", OECD Policy Responses to Coronavirus (COVID-19), OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/3bfda1f7-en; OECD (2019_[3]), TALIS 2018 Results (Volume I): Teachers and School Leaders as Lifelong Learners, TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/1d0bc92a-en; OECD (2019_[4]), PISA 2018 Results (Volume II): Where All Students Can Succeed, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/b5fd1b8f-en; OECD (2019_[5]), PISA 2018 Results (Volume III): What School Life Means for Students’ Lives, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/acd78851-en.

Statlink

Selected education policies for Denmark

National Strategy on Promoting Science (National naturvidenskabsstrategi, 2018)

►. Level of resilience: Broader learning environment

Denmark’s National Strategy on Promoting Science (2018) contains a range of measures to strengthen teachers’ performance and skills through collaboration and instructional leadership. Denmark’s Ministry of Children and Education encouraged municipalities to hire municipal science co-ordinators and asked schools to recruit science supervisors. It has also provided financial support and advice to science teams in primary and lower-secondary schools who wish to develop their teaching practices through professional learning communities. At the secondary level, there has been a focus on building professional networks between schools and sharing good practice. The strategy also aims to develop curricular content and pilot pedagogical approaches in digital technologies. One pilot scheme, carried out in 46 primary and lower-secondary schools from 2018-21, trialled course content, developed with the support of an expert group, aiming to foster the skills, insights and capacities learners need to engage critically and constructively with digital technologies. Denmark has also introduced a new basic VET course on digital technologies as part of the strategy.

In 2019, the Ministry launched new national networks for science co-ordinators and supervisors across the country. The networks are facilitated by the National Centre for Learning in Nature, Engineering and Health (ASTRA), and aim to deepen collaboration and knowledge sharing between schools and municipalities. A report from 2019 points to the continued need to plan for teachers’ competence development in the natural sciences (Ministry of Children and Education of Denmark, 2019_[6]).

Further reading: OECD (2020_[7]), Education Policy Outlook: Denmark, http://www.oecd.org/education/policy-outlook/country-profile-Denmark-2020.pdf (accessed on 28 October 2021).

Tripartite agreement on extraordinary support for apprentices and employers (Trepartsforhandlinger, 2020)

►. Level of resilience: System

In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Danish government and social partners agreed on a range of measures to ensure the continuity of work-based learning in the short term, and to meet the need for skilled workers in the years to come. Short-term measures included a temporary wage subsidy, available from May to December 2020, in order to encourage employers to retain apprentices and offer new placements. In the longer-term, the government and social partners agreed to set aside DKK 500 million per year from the Employers Educational Contribution fund (AUB) to finance initiatives that promote apprenticeships and strengthen VET. There are also plans to simplify the apprenticeship scheme and adjust the funding model to provide further incentives to employers. Addressing labour shortages in the health and social care sectors is a priority of the agreement. With this in mind, a budget of DKK 50 million has been set aside for initiatives aimed at public sector apprenticeships.

There was a 16% increase in the number of new apprenticeship agreements in June 2020 compared to the previous year (Ministry of Children and Education of Denmark, 2020_[8]).

Further reading: Ministry of Children and Education of Denmark (2020_[9]), Over fem mia. kr. skal holde hånden under lærlinge, elever og virksomheder [Over five billion DKK to hold the hand of apprentices, students and companies], https://www.uvm.dk/aktuelt/nyheder/uvm/2020/maj/200528-over-fem-milliarder-kroner-skal-holde-haanden-under-laerlinge--elever-og-virksomheder (accessed 1 April 2021).

References

Ministry of Children and Education of Denmark (2020), Over fem mia. kr. skal holde hånden under lærlinge, elever og virksomheder [Over five billion DKK to hold the hand of apprentices, students and companies], https://www.uvm.dk/aktuelt/nyheder/uvm/2020/maj/200528-over-fem-milliarder-kroner-skal-holde-haanden-under-laerlinge--elever-og-virksomheder (accessed on 1 April 2021). [9]

Ministry of Children and Education of Denmark (2020), Stigning i antallet af lærepladser i juni [Increase in the number of apprenticeships in June], https://www.uvm.dk/aktuelt/nyheder/uvm/2020/aug/200825-stigning-i-antallet-af-laerepladser-i-juni (accessed on 1 April 2021). [8]

Ministry of Children and Education of Denmark (2019), Undersøgelse af kompetencebehov blandt naturfagslærere i grundskolen [Study of competence needs among science teachers in primary school], https://www.uvm.dk/publikationer/2019/191106-undersoogelse-af-kompetencebvehov-blandt-naturfagslaerere-i-grundskolen (accessed on 1 April 2021). [6]

OECD (2020), Education Policy Outlook: Denmark, http://www.oecd.org/education/policy-outlook/country-profile-Denmark-2020.pdf (accessed on 28 October 2021). [7]

OECD (2020), Learning remotely when schools close: How well are students and schools prepared? Insights from PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/3bfda1f7-en. [2]

OECD (2020), TALIS 2018 Results (Volume II): Teachers and School Leaders as Valued Professionals, TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/19cf08df-en. [1]

OECD (2019), PISA 2018 Results (Volume II): Where All Students Can Succeed, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/b5fd1b8f-en. [4]

OECD (2019), PISA 2018 Results (Volume III): What School Life Means for Students’ Lives, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/acd78851-en. [5]

OECD (2019), TALIS 2018 Results (Volume I): Teachers and School Leaders as Lifelong Learners, TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/1d0bc92a-en. [3]