Danish school panel examines causes of falling PISA scores

Danish pupils have fallen behind in mathematics, reading and science, with the sharpest decline in reading, DR reports. The latest PISA study, published earlier in September, also found rising lateness and truancy, as DR invited a panel of people with experience of Danish schools to answer readers’ questions.

The reading results suggest more pupils may struggle to understand texts that are not simple. In the survey, 60 percent of Danish pupils said they had been late to school at least once in the previous two weeks.

Where should efforts begin?

Regitze Spenner Ishøy, chair of the School and Parents association, said schools and families should work more closely together. They spend too much time talking about one another rather than with one another, she said, and parents need to discuss how best to support schools.

She also called for better conditions for teachers and educators, through more colleagues or more time to do their work. That could mean fewer teaching hours for each teacher, she said.

What is affecting motivation?

Asked how much of the PISA decline could be linked to digitalisation, compared with factors such as the pandemic, teacher shortages or large classes, Madicken Luther, chair of the Danish School Students organisation, said many things compete for pupils’ attention.

She said a major part of the problem was a lack of motivation, and that pupils may struggle to see the point of what they are taught.

Does inclusion work for every pupil?

Katrine Fylking, chair of the Copenhagen Teachers’ Association, said inclusion in public schools was a complex task. In some schools and classes, pupils who need specialised educational support are not receiving it, which can affect the quality of teaching, she said.

Teachers are attentive to balancing the class community with the needs of individual pupils, Fylking said. She cited a survey in which 81 percent of teachers in Copenhagen said they had one or more pupils who they believed should receive teaching in a specialised programme. More lessons with two teachers and more time to build relationships with individual pupils could help make public schools work for everyone, she said.

Are there clear rules for digitalisation?

Dorte Torp Andreas, chair of the School Leaders’ Association, said schools had been left to handle the challenges of artificial intelligence and technology on their own. She called for a national strategy that includes a plan and funding for professional development for teachers and school leaders.

What does research say?

Andreas Rasch-Christensen, a school researcher at VIA University College, said involving pupils is important for effective and motivating teaching. This does not mean simply asking them what they want to learn, he said, but using teaching to open up the world and make lessons varied, relevant and interesting.