Aarhus politician calls for removal of disruptive students from mainstream schools

A local politician in Aarhus has urged national lawmakers to help remove students whose behaviour is disrupting classrooms, following complaints from residents in the suburb of Tilst, DR reports.

Louise Svenstrup, acting councillor for social affairs and employment in Aarhus Municipality, described incidents where students derailed sex education lessons by declaring images of the naked body “haram” (forbidden under Islamic law) and criticised classmates for dressing or expressing views deemed “too Danish.”

In a letter to local newspaper Aarhus Stiftstidende, Svenstrup confirmed the municipality had received multiple reports of students from “vulnerable families” disrupting lessons, citing conflicts with Koranic teachings. She argued that while these children have a right to education, removing them from mainstream schools may be necessary to curb what she termed “negative social control.”

“We need to move these children out of the school environments they are negatively influencing,” Svenstrup said.

The issue extends beyond Aarhus. Politicians in Copenhagen have similarly raised concerns about social control among students at Ørestad Gymnasium.

Svenstrup has not yet determined where the affected students would be placed but suggested alternative settings such as “club schools” (klubskoler), specialised small-group learning environments. She emphasised the need to assess the underlying challenges and support the children involved.

To address the problem, Svenstrup plans to redeploy experienced integration workers from the municipality’s social and employment services to Tilst. She will also push for “negative social control” to become a top priority in the city’s neighbourhood outreach programmes.

The councillor intends to lobby national politicians for legal tools to relocate disruptive students and contain the issue within public schools.