The Danish public school reform debate has become a central theme in Denmark’s election campaign ahead of the 24 March 2026 parliamentary vote, with parties promising major changes to the public primary and lower secondary system known as the folkeskolen. The proposals respond to rising concerns about student wellbeing, classroom disruption and violence, and a school system that many teachers say is being stretched by inclusion and new demands.
Why the Danish public school reform debate has moved into classrooms
In Denmark, education is often treated as a long-term policy area rather than a headline campaign issue. This time, the folkeskolen has moved to the front because several trends have converged: more reports of unrest and aggressive behaviour in schools, growing anxiety about mental health, and a public debate over whether teaching has become too sedentary and less engaging for older pupils.
Experts and school leaders have also pointed to a widening gap between what the public expects schools to manage—learning, social support, special needs, digital life, conflict prevention—and the time and staffing available in ordinary classrooms.
What Social Democrats mean by a “small school in the public school”
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s Social Democrats (Socialdemokratiet) have presented a plan they describe as a “lilleskole”—a “small school” model inside the folkeskolen.
The core idea is to make the early years more predictable and supportive, with smaller classes in the first grades and a stronger focus on basic skills and a calmer learning environment. Supporters argue that a stronger start can reduce later problems with disengagement and anxiety.
Critics, including some education analysts, have warned that any system built around smaller classes will depend on finding and retaining more qualified teachers—a challenge in many municipalities.
What Conservatives propose: two-adult teaching and a reset on inclusion
The Conservative People’s Party (Det Konservative Folkeparti) has framed its education programme as an attempt to create “a smarter school”, centred on having more adults present in the classroom, especially during core lessons.
In its policy plan, the party proposes setting aside DKK 2.1 billion per year (about €281 million) to expand two-adult teaching in many Danish and mathematics lessons. The Conservatives also link school disruption to what they call a failed inclusion model and propose additional spending of DKK 1.6 billion (about €214 million) in 2027–2030 for earlier intervention, new “in-between” support models, and strengthened teaching environments.
The party argues the aim is not only better learning outcomes, but also safer and calmer classrooms, and working conditions that can keep experienced teachers in the profession.
The classroom reality: safety, workload, and the limits of inclusion
The most contested part of the debate is inclusion—the policy goal of educating pupils with different needs within mainstream classes, as far as possible.
In practice, schools and teachers describe a system where more pupils require individual adjustments and support, while specialist resources have not always followed. The result, according to teacher organisations and researchers, can be a heavier workload for teachers and a learning environment that is less stable for the entire class.
The pressure is compounded by reports of violence and threats in schools, and by the fact that teachers increasingly spend time on conflict management and crisis response—time that is then not spent on planning and teaching.
Boredom, motivation, and why “practical learning” keeps returning
A second line of criticism focuses on how lessons are delivered—especially in the later grades. Education researchers have argued that the folkeskolen has become more book-based and analytical over time, while pupils often respond better to varied instruction, including practical tasks, outdoor learning and project-based work. The political implication is clear: reforms that focus only on class size or staffing will not address motivation if the teaching model remains unchanged.
This is also why several education reforms in recent years have promoted more practical and locally shaped learning, aiming to create clearer links between school, everyday life and future education or work pathways.
Phones, social media, and a wellbeing agenda that goes beyond schools
Denmark’s national Trivselskommissionen (Wellbeing Commission) has argued that rising distress among children and young people cannot be explained only by what happens at school.
Its recommendations have put strong emphasis on the digital environment: delaying children’s first smartphone, reducing phone use in school, and building stronger offline communities through sports and leisure activities. The commission’s broader point is that schools are being asked to compensate for pressures that come from outside the classroom, including social media comparison, loneliness and stress.
How this fits into Denmark’s recent school reforms
The current campaign promises come on top of reforms already under way. In 2024, the Danish government and several parliamentary parties reached an agreement to give schools more local autonomy, reduce detailed national targets, and strengthen practical learning and teaching materials. More recently, new measures have focused on earlier support for pupils with declining wellbeing and high levels of absenteeism.
That context matters: Denmark is not starting from zero. The next government will have to decide whether to build on the recent “freedom and practicality” agenda, or whether the scale of today’s problems requires a more structural shift—starting with staffing and classroom safety.
