Teachers sound alarm over declining academic standards in Danish primary schools

A majority of teachers report that students’ academic performance has worsened over the past five years, according to a new survey by DR and Danmarks Lærerforening (the Danish Union of Teachers).

Six out of ten teachers say pupils now struggle more to keep up in class, with declining vocabulary, weaker comprehension, and reduced concentration. The findings have raised concerns among educators, researchers, and student representatives ahead of the 2026 general election.

Vocabulary and comprehension in decline

Pernille Ratje, a Danish teacher at Bjørnehøjskolen in Helsinge, describes a noticeable drop in students’ language skills. “Children’s vocabulary is smaller now than just a few years ago,” she says. “They know words like sofa and chair, but not the broader term furniture. They know knife and fork, but not cutlery.”

This gap affects reading comprehension, even for basic words like quay or pier—terms third-graders encounter in standardised tests. “They can technically read, but they don’t understand the words,” Ratje explains. To compensate, she now starts lessons at a lower level, a shift she says is widely discussed among colleagues.

Researcher: “Teachers’ observations must be taken seriously”

Ane Qvortrup, a professor at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) specialising in academic performance, warns that the survey reflects broader trends. “It’s well-documented that teachers accurately assess academic standards,” she says, pointing to recent PISA results showing significant declines in reading and maths. Nearly 12% of ninth-graders failed either Danish or maths in 2023/24—the highest rate since 2012.

Qvortrup notes that weak foundational skills in core subjects undermine performance across the curriculum. “When academic confidence falls, so does students’ engagement and willingness to learn,” she adds.

Calls for more trained teachers and student involvement

Magnus Herrmann, chair of Danske Skoleelever (Danish School Students), criticises the system for failing pupils who don’t meet basic proficiency (02 level) in Danish and maths. “The school isn’t delivering what it should,” he says. The organisation demands fewer substitute teachers—currently filling one in eight lessons—and greater student input in shaping lessons. “Involved students are more motivated, and that strengthens academic outcomes,” Herrmann argues.

Danmarks Lærerforening echoes the call for more permanent staff. “This is serious, first and foremost for our students, who deserve instruction that challenges them,” says Regitze Flannov, head of the union’s education committee. She rejects suggestions that teachers bear sole responsibility: “We’re doing our best, but there simply aren’t enough of us to give every student the attention they need.”

Without intervention, Ratje fears a two-tier system could emerge, where resourceful parents opt out of public schools. “My hope is that after the election, politicians will allocate more resources to support struggling students properly,” she says.