School and education

In Denmark, education is compulsory. That means that you need to go to one of the nearly 1600 public schools, a private school or be taught at home. It is mandatory to go to school for 10 years, from 0-9 grade. The 10th grade is not mandatory and you can therefor do a lot of things after the 9th grade. You normally start in the Kindergarten class, when you are six years old, but it is possible to start when you are five years old and even when you are seven.
About 85 % of the Danish kids who go to school, go to a public school, and the remaining part of the 600.000 kids in Denmark (15 %) go to a private school or they are being taught in their own home, which by the way isn’t that common. That's about 90.000 kids.
In Denmark all public schools don’t have the right to say no to a student. But of course if the school is full, then the student must find another school to attend. But the private schools have the right to decide. On a private school you are put on a waiting-list. The list is normally very long but if your brother and/or you sister is attending the school you will skip the waiting-list. That is called sibling-guarantee.
Often when danish kids go to state school and they are about 13 years old or even older, they have a spare-time job. After school they go to work and earn money for themselves. That can only happen when there are some good work-places and some good employers in Denmark. Now they have their spare-time jobs, they have their friends, they have their families. Everything isn’t about school, as in many other countries.
Another big part of the danish school-system is that the pupils don´t have to wear school uniforms as in England.

The relationship between the students and the teachers is very good. There is a lot of fun in school and the teachers are always in a good mood and sometimes joke around. The joke isn’t always very good but it is the thought that counts. Having a good relationship to your teacher makes your school day a lot more fun and interesting. Sometimes there are some pupils who are late for school, and the teachers don’t get that angry, because they know that the kids don’t do it on purpose and it can even happen for the best of us. We don´t call the teachers by their last name, we use their first name, which creates a more relaxed environment. We think it helps us in coping with the pressure of school.
Ministry of education:
There is a ministry for school and education. In danish it’s called “undervisningsministeriet” and in English “the ministry of education”. In that ministry some politicians sit five-six days a week to decide and research what’s best for the Danish school system. The minister is Christine Antorini and she has been the minister for half a year, since the Danish election in 2011.

The history of the Danish public school:
The public school started in 1814. The school was called “Borger- og Almueskolen”. That was right after the French revolution. The revolution was about people’s rights and that it is not only the rich people who are allowed to go to school. So in the year of 1814 the Danish government started a Danish revolution that said that every Danish kid, and not only the nobles, could go to school. Before the school revolution in 1814 it was only the noble people who did go to school. People who had money, and people who were close to the king. The schools after the revolution in 1814 and many years forward were built on Christianity. So every single school in Denmark sang songs from the Bible and they prayed. It was a very hard time for the kids in the old school days, because of the roles back then. The school teachers were allowed to hit the kids if they forgot to do their homework or if they stood in front of the teacher. And now the relationship between the teacher and the pupils has changed. Over 200 years have passed and the school has completely changed. Because now the pupils are very “free”. The pupils do not have to stand up when the teacher enters the classroom or use the teachers last name instead of his first name and we don't get beaten. Now the relationship between the teacher and the pupils is fun and we look forward to start the school day.

After school:
You have to go to school for nine years, and after that you can get an education. It’s a part of growing up, and being an adult. We need an education to provide for our further generations and for our future work. You can go to High school or an Independant Boarding school, get a further education, you can apply for an apprenticeship as a hair stylist for instance, or you can take a sabbatical year, where you can figure out what you want to do with your life. This doesn’t mean you don’t do anything, because most people gather working experience and some even travel and explore the world. The educational system makes it possible to continually improve themselves throughout their lives. In High school you can get paid if you are 18 years old. That is called “SU” in Danish and “state education grant” in English. That means it is the government that pays for our education, simply through our taxes. Denmark is actually one of the only countries in the world where the students don’t have to pay for the education. It depends on your parents earnings. If you live at home you can receive between 209 dollars to 470 dollars a month before taxes depending on your parents earnings, you will get between 605 dollars to 943 dollars a month before taxes again depending on your parents, if you are living on your own. But if you don’t know what you want, then you can take a sabbatical year, where you can figure out what you want to do with your life. Actually you have a lot of opportunities after school. You can apply for an apprenticeship as a hairstylist, mechanic, animal keeper or something else.
In Denmark, education is compulsory. That means that you need to go to one of the nearly 1600 public schools, a private school or be taught at home. It is mandatory to go to school for 10 years, from 0-9 grade. The 10th grade is not mandatory and you can therefor do a lot of things after the 9th grade. You normally start in the Kindergarten class, when you are six years old, but it is possible to start when you are five years old and even when you are seven.
About 85 % of the Danish kids who go to school, go to a public school, and the remaining part of the 600.000 kids in Denmark (15 %) go to a private school or they are being taught in their own home, which by the way isn’t that common. That's about 90.000 kids.
In Denmark all public schools don’t have the right to say no to a student. But of course if the school is full, then the student must find another school to attend. But the private schools have the right to decide. On a private school you are put on a waiting-list. The list is normally very long but if your brother and/or you sister is attending the school you will skip the waiting-list. That is called sibling-guarantee.
Often when danish kids go to state school and they are about 13 years old or even older, they have a spare-time job. After school they go to work and earn money for themselves. That can only happen when there are some good work-places and some good employers in Denmark. Now they have their spare-time jobs, they have their friends, they have their families. Everything isn’t about school, as in many other countries.
Another big part of the danish school-system is that the pupils don´t have to wear school uniforms as in England.

The relationship between the students and the teachers is very good. There is a lot of fun in school and the teachers are always in a good mood and sometimes joke around. The joke isn’t always very good but it is the thought that counts. Having a good relationship to your teacher makes your school day a lot more fun and interesting. Sometimes there are some pupils who are late for school, and the teachers don’t get that angry, because they know that the kids don’t do it on purpose and it can even happen for the best of us. We don´t call the teachers by their last name, we use their first name, which creates a more relaxed environment. We think it helps us in coping with the pressure of school.
Ministry of education:
There is a ministry for school and education. In danish it’s called “undervisningsministeriet” and in English “the ministry of education”. In that ministry some politicians sit five-six days a week to decide and research what’s best for the Danish school system. The minister is Christine Antorini and she has been the minister for half a year, since the Danish election in 2011.

The history of the Danish public school:
The public school started in 1814. The school was called “Borger- og Almueskolen”. That was right after the French revolution. The revolution was about people’s rights and that it is not only the rich people who are allowed to go to school. So in the year of 1814 the Danish government started a Danish revolution that said that every Danish kid, and not only the nobles, could go to school. Before the school revolution in 1814 it was only the noble people who did go to school. People who had money, and people who were close to the king. The schools after the revolution in 1814 and many years forward were built on Christianity. So every single school in Denmark sang songs from the Bible and they prayed. It was a very hard time for the kids in the old school days, because of the roles back then. The school teachers were allowed to hit the kids if they forgot to do their homework or if they stood in front of the teacher. And now the relationship between the teacher and the pupils has changed. Over 200 years have passed and the school has completely changed. Because now the pupils are very “free”. The pupils do not have to stand up when the teacher enters the classroom or use the teachers last name instead of his first name and we don't get beaten. Now the relationship between the teacher and the pupils is fun and we look forward to start the school day.

After school:
You have to go to school for nine years, and after that you can get an education. It’s a part of growing up, and being an adult. We need an education to provide for our further generations and for our future work. You can go to High school or an Independant Boarding school, get a further education, you can apply for an apprenticeship as a hair stylist for instance, or you can take a sabbatical year, where you can figure out what you want to do with your life. This doesn’t mean you don’t do anything, because most people gather working experience and some even travel and explore the world. The educational system makes it possible to continually improve themselves throughout their lives. In High school you can get paid if you are 18 years old. That is called “SU” in Danish and “state education grant” in English. That means it is the government that pays for our education, simply through our taxes. Denmark is actually one of the only countries in the world where the students don’t have to pay for the education. It depends on your parents earnings. If you live at home you can receive between 209 dollars to 470 dollars a month before taxes depending on your parents earnings, you will get between 605 dollars to 943 dollars a month before taxes again depending on your parents, if you are living on your own. But if you don’t know what you want, then you can take a sabbatical year, where you can figure out what you want to do with your life. Actually you have a lot of opportunities after school. You can apply for an apprenticeship as a hairstylist, mechanic, animal keeper or something else.