Students protest against budget cuts at Silkeborg Gymnasium in Denmark

At Silkeborg Gymnasium, Denmark’s largest high school, students are actively protesting against government budget cuts. Matilde Thomsen, a student from the third year, is working on a banner that reads, “Save Money, Not Knowledge. We Fight for the FUTURE.” She emphasizes that the cuts will affect future students, stating, “It’s not us who are bearing the consequences; it’s those who will attend in the coming years who will notice the difference in their high school experience.”

Today, 40 students are traveling to the capital to join a demonstration organized by the Danish High School Students’ Union (DGS), while the remaining students are boycotting classes and putting up barrier tape at the school’s main entrance.

The cuts proposed by the government are expected to result in an annual loss of 8.1 million kroner for the school, leading to teacher layoffs and reductions in extracurricular activities, according to Lukas Tranberg Nielsen, a student council representative. He fears that student well-being and the quality of education will suffer as a consequence.

The DGS is rallying against not only the budget cuts but also the government’s plan to raise the grade requirement for high school admission from 5 to 6 and to abolish both the 10th grade and the HF program. DGS Chair Joachim Stærk Ekstrand Federspiel argues that these changes would make it even more challenging for students to improve their grades after the ninth grade.

The government’s proposed education reforms, which will take effect in 2030, include the establishment of a new career-oriented program called epx and the discontinuation of hf and eux programs. Support for the student protests has also come from the school’s principal, Tina Riis Mikkelsen, who asserts the need to invest in young people for the country’s future. Over 2,000 students are expected to attend the demonstration at 1 PM.