Thousands of Danish children struggle with school refusal, some avoiding classrooms almost entirely

At least 50,000 Danish children experience school refusal to some degree, with some attending as little as two hours a week, according to a report by public broadcaster DR. For 12-year-old Olav Kronborg Skjødt, the solution has been hands-on activities outside traditional education.

Olav, who has ADHD and a form of autism that makes structured demands difficult, now spends his time at a local boatyard in Slettestrand and a newly established club for children facing similar challenges. “It’s much more fun here,” he said. “I don’t have to sit still all day like in school.”

His mother, Mette Marie Kronborg Skjødt, described a six-year struggle to get him to attend school, including physically carrying him into the building—efforts that only worsened his resistance. “We tried everything,” she said. “I had forgotten what his smile looked like. Now, he finally believes he can do things.”

The club, which she helped initiate, offers activities like farm visits and woodworking. Olav has found purpose in building boat models and wooden toys, even expressing a future goal: becoming a boatbuilder. While he occasionally misses social aspects of school, he has no interest in returning to academic subjects. “I don’t miss Danish or math,” he said.