Mors school abandons traditional timetable

A school on the Danish island of Mors has scrapped the traditional 45-minute lesson structure, replacing it with two long subject blocks per day, and reports a calmer, more inclusive environment as a result.

Dueholmskolen, which has around 700 students, now runs classes from 08:00 to 10:40 and 11:10 to 13:30, with each day dedicated to just two subjects. The model, now in its second year, has reduced transitions, conflicts, and stress, according to school principal Lars Zedlitz Alberg.

“We can’t believe the difference. The school is calmer, there’s a stronger sense of community, the pace has slowed, and we’ve virtually eliminated conflicts,” Alberg said. He noted that the old system lost up to 1.5–2 hours daily to transitions and disruptions, and that some students—particularly boys—were falling through the cracks.

“We’re on an island where many students go on to vocational training. Some of them had different expectations—they’re not here to read Jeppe Aakjær,” he added.

The shift has also allowed the school to phase out its last special needs class by the coming school year, with more students now included in mainstream classes.

Education researchers have praised the model for reducing wasted time—studies show 7–8 minutes per hour are typically lost to setup—but some warn that compressing the school day risks sidelining smaller subjects like music and physical education.

To ensure all subjects are covered, Dueholmskolen rotates its timetable every 10 weeks. The approach has already inspired two other schools in the region, Hurup Skole and Limfjordsskolen, to adopt similar models.

“The students are thriving, the teachers are happy. We’ve hit the bullseye all around,” said Kasper Nørgaard, chair of the school board.