An initiative aimed at making Danish education more practical is failing to meet expectations in most parts of the country, according to SMV Danmark.
The programme, introduced for the 2025/2026 school year, enables students in 8th and 9th grade to combine classroom learning with hands-on experience in companies or vocational schools.
The government had set an ambition that at least 5% of students would take part in the scheme, however the new analysis shows that less than 3% of students nationwide are currently enrolled, equivalent to around 2,500 out of approximately 100,000 pupils, according to SMV Danmark.
Low participation
Data collected from 96 of Denmark’s 98 municipalities reveal that just 24 meet or exceed the 5% target, while participation remains very low elsewhere. In fact, about 40% of municipalities have fewer than 2% of students in the scheme, and five municipalities report no participation at all.
“The figures clearly show how important it is that the individual municipality takes ownership of the scheme,” commented Kasper Munk Rasmussen, head of education at SMV Danmark (pictured).
“If you don’t ensure locally that students, parents and companies know about the opportunity, nothing will happen. Not many people read Lovtidende, so the municipalities have a crucial role.”
Rural and peripheral municipalities are leading adoption in the scheme, with places like Lolland and Langeland reporting participation rates above 12%. In contrast, major urban areas – particularly in and around the capital, Copenhagen – are lagging far behind. Some Danish cities record participation rates of less than 1%.
Education system
The findings come amid a broader debate about the effectiveness of Denmark’s primary education system, which is a hot topic of the current election campaign.
“The elementary school is a big part of the election campaign, and rightly so,” Rasmussen added. “It is almost a scandal that more than one in 10 students still cannot pass Danish and mathematics after a decade in elementary school. Here we know that junior master apprenticeships can be part of the solution. Therefore, it is disappointing to see that the municipalities are not better at putting junior master apprenticeships into play as an option for students.”
The report concludes that the scheme’s success will depend heavily on stronger implementation, with SMV Danmark calling on municipalities to take greater responsibility by introducing the programme earlier, improving communication, and establishing clear points of contact to connect schools, students, and employers.
“All students and parents should be introduced to the scheme as early as the 7th grade, and there should be a clear contact person in the municipality or at the school who can help companies and students get started,” said Rasmussen. Read more here.
