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1. Policy Framework

2. Formal learning

3. Non-formal and informal learning

4. Quality assurance/quality guidelines for non-formal learning

5. Educators' support

Policy Framework

Denmark does not have a designated national strategy on social and civic competences. Social and civic competences are an integrated component of the Danish education acts, the national curriculum and non-formal general education.

The framework of reference for social and civic competences in formal education:

• Act on Primary and Lower Secondary Education (Bekendtgørelse af lov om folkeskolen, LBK nr 989 af 27/08/2024 ) (ISCED 1-2)
• Act on General Upper Secondary Education (Bekendtgørelse af lov om de gymnasiale uddannelser, LBK nr 1003 af 28/08/2024)  (ISCED 3)
• Act on Vocational Upper Secondary Education (Bekendtgørelse af lov om erhvervsuddannelser,  LBK nr 961 af 16/08/2024)
• Ministerial order on VET (Bekendtgørelse om erhvervsuddannelser,  BEK nr 953 af 22/06/2023)
• Ministerial order on core subjects in VET, appendix 28 and 32 (Bekendtgørelse om grundfag, erhvervsfag og erhvervsrettet andetsprogsdansk i erhvervsuddannelserne, BEK nr 555 af 27/04/2022) 

In formal education, the target group is children and youth in primary (ISCED 1), lower (ISCED 2), and upper secondary (ISCED 3) education.

The legal framework in non-formal education:

• Act on Receipts from the national lottery and football pools (Udlodningsloven,  LOV nr 1532 af 19/12/2017)
• The Act on Social Services, § 18 (Bekendtgørelse af lov om social service, LBK nr 170 af 24/01/2022)
• The Act on Non-Formal General Adult Education (Folkeoplysningsloven, LBK nr 1115 af 31/08/2018)

Non-formal general education targets all people living in Denmark.

Furthermore, social and civic competences are one of the supplementary requirements for citizens from countries outside the EU/EEA countries and Switzerland when they apply for a permanent residence permit. 

When it comes to integration and residence permits for non-Danish citizens, the framework of reference for social and civic competences is the Act on Integration (Integrationsloven, LBK nr 1146 af 22/06/2020).

Target groups: non-Danish citizens from third countries who wish to apply for a permanent residence permit.

 

Formal learning

In general and vocational upper secondary education programmes, social and civic competences are integrated into other compulsory subjects as well as being a cross-curricular theme.

In general and vocational upper secondary education programmes, social and civic competences are integrated into other compulsory subjects as well as being a cross-curricular theme.

General upper secondary education

The Act on General Upper Secondary Education (Lov om de gymnasiale uddannelser) establishes the objectives of the four general upper secondary education programmes (stx, hhx, htx and hf). Hf is a two-year general upper education programme, the rest are three-year education programmes.

The act determines that the education programmes and the very culture at the education institutions must prepare the students for living in a participatory democracy and the responsibility, rights and duties that this entails. Both the teaching and the everyday processes at the institution must be based on freedom, equal status, respect and democracy. The students thereby achieve the qualifications to participate actively in a democratic society.

In the Act on General Upper Secondary Education Programmes, the preamble highlights the importance of social and civic competences. Section 1, subsection 4 states that: ‘education programmes and the general education culture at the education institutions must prepare the students for participatory democracy, co-responsibility, and rights and obligations in a society based on freedom and democracy. The teaching and life at the education institutions must be built on intellectual freedom, equal status and democracy and strengthen the students’ knowledge of and respect for basic constitutional and human rights, including gender equality. Thereby, the students must achieve competences for active participation in a democratic society and an understanding of the opportunities for contributing to development and change, individually and in unison.’

Furthermore, citizenship education is integrated in the subject Social Sciences (samfundsfag). Social Sciences at c-level is obligatory for all students in stx, hhx and htx. The teaching time is 75 lessons of 60 minutes in a school year, but the school decides how to allocate the lessons.

One of the core themes of the subject is ‘political participation, rights and duties in a democratic society and gender equality’. During this theme, students learn about different ways to engage in politics, the decision-making process and how to influence it. Furthermore, the students gain knowledge of citizenship and its rights and duties. At the final examination, the student must be able to use knowledge from the core themes to explain and discuss societal problems.

In HF, the subject Social Science is obligatory at c-level and is integrated in the subject group Culture and Society. The objective of the subject is general education, and the teaching should prepare the pupil to make autonomous decisions and participate actively in a modern, multi-cultural, democratic society. One of the core themes in social science c-level is: ‘The political rights and duties in a democratic society, political decision-making and participation, equal rights and gender equality.’ At the final examination, the student must be able to use knowledge from the core themes to explain and discuss societal problems.

Vocational education

The Act on Vocational Education (Erhvervsuddannelsesloven) establishes the objectives of the vocational education programmes at upper secondary level.

In section 1, subsection 3 states that vocational education programmes must contribute to developing the students’ interest in and ability to participate actively in a democratic society.

In the ministerial order (bekendtgørelse om erhvervsuddannelser), for the vocational education programmes, the objectives of the vocational programmes are specified in section 1, subsection 2. Vocational education programmes must contribute to the development of the pupil’s ability for vocational and social problem solving, the ability to take initiative, be flexible and develop a sense of quality, as well as basic skills. 

Preparatory basic education (FGU)

In preparatory basic education (FGU), the students can follow courses in Identity and citizenship (Identitet og medborgerskab) and Personal finance, workplace education, cooperation education and business education (PASE: Privatøkonomi, arbejdspladslære, samarbejdslære og erhvervslære)

In Identity and Citizenship, the student learns amongst other things about democratic processes, critical thinking and understanding their own and other peoples outlook on life. 

In PASE the student learns about their personal finances and how to participate as a coworker and employee in a workplace. 

Read more about plans for the various courses in FGU here.

 

Non-formal and informal learning

Participative structures within formal education settings in Denmark

Participative structures within formal education settings in Denmark

As described in section 5.3, pupils in primary, lower secondary, as well as pupils in general and vocational upper secondary education programmes have the right to establish pupil councils.

The legal framework for pupil councils are statutory instruments and acts by the Ministry of Children and Education. (See section 5.3)

In higher education programmes, students can also unite in student associations. (See section 5.3)

Furthermore, the Act on Universities (Universitetsloven, LBK nr 778 af 07/08/2019) obliges principals at the Danish universities to include students in:

• Study boards
• Academic councils
• The university board

The principal of the university must set up study boards (studienævn) with equal student and teacher representatives. Students elect student representatives, and fellow teachers elect teacher representatives. Often, each education programme has its own study board. The study board is responsible for the planning, completion and development of the education and teaching.

Furthermore, the principal must set up academic councils with student representation. Student representatives are elected among fellow students. The academic councils make statements about academic affairs, for instance research funding and strategic affairs.

Lastly, students are represented in the universities’ boards. The student representatives are elected among fellow students. The boards are the highest authority of the universities.

 

Top-level programmes aimed at training school staff and pupils to participate in decision-making

Denmark does not have a national top-level programme aimed at training school staff and pupils to enhance their skills to participate in decision-making structures. However, all upper secondary educational institutions are required to have a student council. 

Instead research projects focus on the field of pupils’ participation in school democracy, some of which are publicly financed. These research projects often evolve new techniques or teaching resources tested in selected classes. Some of the projects explore the upgrading of skills and competences of the teachers. For instance:

• Denmark’s evaluation institute (EVA) explores and develops the quality of day-care centres, schools and educational programmes.
• The Centre for Youth Research (Center for ungdomsforskning – CeFU) explores young people’s lives and youth in Denmark.

Free teaching resources are also provided by several public actors, for instance:

• The Centre for Teaching Resources (Center for undervisningsmidler – CFU).
• The Danish National Repository of Learning Resources (Materialeplatformen).
• The Pedagogical Learning Centre (Pædagogisk læringscenter).
• EMU is the common portal for the educational world in Denmark. Via EMU, teachers, students, parents, and others with an interest in schools and training have access to a vast amount of resources and information relating to education.
• DR school. DR (Danish Broadcasting Corporation) is Denmark’s oldest and largest electronic media enterprise. The corporation was founded in 1925 as a public service organisation. DR is an independent, licence-financed public institution comprising television, radio, and online services.

 

Measures to encourage student participation in the local community and wider society in Denmark

There is no part of the national curriculum that obliges pupils in upper secondary education to take part in activities serving the local community.

Open School

However, with the school reform of 2013, the municipal primary and lower secondary schools (folkeskole) are obliged to establish partnerships with the local community. The legal framework is the Act on Primary and Lower Secondary Education (Lov om folkeskole), and the initiative is called Open School.

The objective of the Open School is to increase the social cohesion locally and to enhance the pupils’ knowledge of society and local associational life, which may also include youth organisations. Activities are linked to the national curriculum but may take place outside the school institution. Pupils are not obliged to participate in activities that serve the local community outside of school hours.

Partnerships Between Formal Education Institutions, Music Schools and Youth Schools in Denmark

Furthermore, municipal primary and lower secondary schools (folkeskole) are obliged to enter into partnerships with municipal music schools and with municipal youth schools.

Democracy under Development

Finally, in 2018 a national campaign, Democracy under Development, run by the Ministry of Children and Education focuses on community, democracy and citizenship. The campaign aims to enhance pupils’ democratic competences and critical thinking. The campaign provides a series of free educational resources targeted at different levels of education, from primary to upper secondary. One of the initiatives, Leave a Mark, seeks to strengthen the pupils’ active citizenship by encouraging the pupils to participate in their local community on a voluntary basis. 

 

Non-formal learning initiatives focusing on social and civic competences for young people in Denmark

There are no national programmes encouraging or supporting education projects related to the promotion of civic and social competences.

However, there is a national legal framework for supporting non-formal learning on civic and social competences. The legal framework is the Act on Non-Formal General Adult Education (Folkeoplysningsloven, LBK nr 1115 af 31/08/2018), the Act on Social Services, § 18 (Lov om social service,  LBK nr 909 af 03/07/2024). Non-formal general (See section 2.1).

The very objective of non-formal general education (folkeoplysning) is to strengthen the individual’s ability and desire to take responsibility for his/her own life and to play an active and engaged part in society. In section 7 of the Act on Non-Formal General Adult Education (Folkeoplysningsloven), the objective is to advance democratic understanding and active citizenship. 

In 2014, the Ministry of Culture launched a national vision for non-formal general education (folkeoplysning).

The aim of the vision is to develop and re-think non-formal general education into the contemporary society in order to meet present challenges, appeal to new generations and continue to make people meet, learn and become active and engaged citizens through working in common. Society is changing and the globalization and increased competition put pressure on democracy.

According to the vision from 2014, a central aspect of the non-formal general education (folkeoplysning) is the protection of minorities, since the overall objective of the non-formal general education project is to fight for everyone’s right to him/herself define in which direction society should develop.

Through the Act on Non-Formal General Adult Education, minorities have the right to establish associations and unite around common values and interests.

The financial support of non-formal general education (folkeoplysning) is described in section 2.1.

 

Quality assurance/quality guidelines for non-formal learning

Quality Assurance/Quality Guidelines for Non-Formal Learning

Educators interested in incorporating the subject of youth participation into their classes can find inspiration on both public and private platforms, such as:

EMU is a portal that gathers the most relevant educational material, services and resources available on the Internet.

The content of EMU focuses on the Danish language and on the needs of pupils, students and teachers in Denmark.

The portal is a unique constellation of virtual entries targeted at specific user groups such as teachers and pupils in primary and lower secondary education, upper secondary school, vocational education and teacher training colleges. In each entry, you will find themes on different topics, educational sequences, resources, best practice, news and much more.

On EMU, teachers can access teaching material on social and civic competences.

EMU is initiated by the Danish Ministry of Children and Education and managed by the National Agency for IT and Learning.

Centre for Teaching Resources, (Center for undervisningsmidler, CFU): The CFU supports teachers in primary and lower secondary, general and vocational upper secondary and adult education. CFU provides teaching resources, such as books, films, digital material, and inspiration for teaching sessions/courses. The resources can be applied to both specific courses and cross-curricular themes. CFU also provides courses for teachers and offers guidance from pedagogical consultants.

Pedagogical Learning Centre (Pædagogisk læringscenter). Each municipal primary and lower secondary school (folkeskole)  is required to have a pedagogical learning centre that supports teachers in their teaching process and provides information on teaching resources. The task of the centre is to support teachers in planning, executing and evaluating lessons. 

Institute for Human Rights (Institut for menneskerettigheder). Among other things, this independent state institute provides teaching material about democracy and human rights for primary, lower and upper secondary schools and universities.

The Danish parliament (Folketinget) provides teaching resources and events for pupils in lower secondary education programmes (See section 5.4 and section 5.8).

Folkeskolen and Folkeskolen.dk. The Danish Union of Teachers runs a periodical and a website for teachers in primary and lower secondary education institutions. In the periodical and on the website, they can find inspiration in professional networks and inspiring events and participate in debates.

Gymnasieskolen and Gymnasieskolen.dk: The Danish National Union of Upper Secondary School Teachers runs a periodical and a website for teachers in general upper secondary education programmes. At Gymnasieskolen, teachers can read about teaching and didactics and participate in debates.

DR School: DR (Danish Broadcasting Corporation) is an independent, licence-financed public institution comprising television, radio, and online services. DR School is a website for Danish primary and lower secondary education. The website provides TV, radio and pictures from DR’s archives. The material is organised in themes, with assignments that teachers can use. The assignments were made in cooperation between teachers and subject advisors from the Ministry of Education.

Networks and events focusing on youth participation in Denmark

Falihos is an association for teachers in history and social science in primary and lower secondary education institutions. Falihos provides teaching resources, reviews of teaching material and inspiration for teaching courses.

FALS: FALS is an association for teachers in social science in general upper secondary education programmes. The association provides courses and teaching resources.