Lolland school closures called a risky move by education expert

Closing two schools and merging two others in Lolland Municipality is a risky move that could weaken public education, an education expert told DR. The proposals are part of a budget plan aimed at saving around 200 million kroner.

Østofte Landsbyordning, a village school with 117 pupils near Maribo, is among the schools set to close after the current school year. Søllested Landsbyordning is also scheduled to close, while two schools in Nakskov would be merged.

“It is difficult. It is really difficult right now,” said Nicolle Kirkegaard-Olsen, chair of Østofte Landsbyordning’s board and the mother of two pupils at the school.

Her son is in third grade and has special needs. She fears that a larger school would not be able to support him as effectively as Østofte does.

“You have a knot in your stomach. What does the future hold? How can I ensure that my children have the best upbringing?” she said.

Esben Nielsen, who is headteacher at both schools facing closure, said the start of the school year had been marked by a subdued atmosphere.

“It is still a day of celebration, and we will do everything we can to make it the best possible school day for all the children starting school. But it is taking up a lot of space for us,” he said.

Andreas Rasch-Christensen, research director at VIA University College, said reducing the number of public schools from seven to four was a risky decision if it was driven solely by savings rather than educational ambitions.

“School mergers are always associated with uncertainty for both pupils and parents. There is also a risk that some parents will choose another school,” he said.

Rasch-Christensen said there was a particular risk that parents with greater resources would withdraw their children from the public school system if the plan went ahead.

However, Lolland Mayor Marie-Louise Brehm Nielsen of the local list Din Stemme said many of those parents had already chosen private schools. Around one in three children in Lolland Municipality currently attends a private school, according to figures from Statistics Denmark.

“What we are doing now has not worked. So we need to look at how we can become a genuinely competitive alternative to private schools. The parents with greater resources have already chosen private schools,” Brehm Nielsen said.

The proposals to close Østofte Landsbyordning and Søllested Landsbyordning and merge two schools in Nakskov are currently part of Lolland Municipality’s budget package, which is under consultation. The final decision is due later this year.