What did we learn this week?
Denmark recorded its lowest-ever PISA results in reading, math, and science.
Skilled workers are outpacing degree holders on pay with 22% wage growth over the last five years.
Interest rates rise again in Denmark.
Letter from the editor
The PISA results this week have raised the alarm bells everywhere, with the Minister of Education saying, “We are in the middle of a very serious learning crisis,” and the Dansk Industri CEO saying it is “a national failure of an entire generation” and “an outright catastrophe.” As a parent, I can say I was also quite shaken to find out about the quality of the education system in Denmark.
So what happened? Students in Denmark had the worst-ever results in reading, math, and science since Denmark joined the PISA testing in 2000. PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) is an OECD test that measures 15-year-olds’ skills in reading, mathematics, and science across 91 countries.
The results triggered a search for the problem. The easiest thing to blame? Screens in school. It’s not a new subject, but now the government wants a complete ban on screens and phones at school. This is not surprising, considering that Mette Frederiksen said before that “screens are more dangerous than cigarettes.”
But are screens really the problem? While the ban might lead to less distraction, there is no proven connection yet to higher academic performance.
I don’t think screens are fully to blame, and something a parent said on live TV stuck with me: “You are allowed to expect something from children, instead of protecting them all the time.”
The Minister of Education asked parents how the crisis could be solved, and proposals started to flow: bring homework back, bring respect for teachers back, bring practical learning back, etc.
Some other numbers are worth looking at: 60% of children report arriving late to school, 28% admit to skipping school almost every other week, teacher support has declined since 2015, and parental involvement has declined significantly since 2022.
The results are so bad that they suggest a structural problem in the education system.
And this is where I think we internationals have an interesting perspective. Many of us came from school systems that were more demanding and hierarchical, and we often admire Denmark for being the opposite: less pressure, fewer tests, and more focus on well-being.
There is a lot worth protecting in that. But I do wonder if Denmark has overcorrected. Maybe in trying to protect children from unnecessary pressure, we have also become afraid of necessary effort. There should not be a contradiction between well-being and expectations. Children can be supported and still be expected to arrive on time, read difficult texts, do homework, and listen to their teachers.
What I also find important is that this debate should not turn into blaming the children. They did not build this system.
The government now wants a new school agreement involving teachers, parents, students, school leaders, and municipalities. That may be a good place to start, because if the problem is structural, then there is probably no single solution.
Maybe screens should go. But the PISA results suggest Denmark also needs a broader conversation about what we expect from children, from parents, from teachers, and from the school system itself.
Thank you for reading and sharing Last Week in Denmark!
Narcis George Matache, Executive Editor, LWID
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Image(s) of the Week
📸 Saharan dust turns skies in Denmark fiery red. See here.
Danish Politics HQ
New laws
Correction: non-EU PhD graduates keep the 3-year job-search period. In last week’s edition, we wrote that the post-study job-search period for PhD students would be reduced from three years to one year. That was incorrect. Under the current rules, graduates who complete a PhD program in Denmark remain eligible for a job-seeking residence permit of up to three years. We apologize for the mistake and thank the reader who flagged it to us.
Law proposals
🎓 Universities could reject non-EU students over security concerns. A new proposal would allow universities to reject or expel non-EU students if their access to sensitive research could pose a national security risk. It would mainly affect fields such as advanced technology, critical infrastructure, and research with possible military use. Nationality could be considered, but it could not be the only reason for rejection. Universities would first have to consider less drastic measures, such as limiting access to laboratories.
🧩 The government wants to abolish the National Integration Council. A new proposal would remove the national body that advises the immigration minister on integration policy and represents perspectives from local integration councils. Municipalities would still be allowed to keep their own local integration councils, so the change concerns the national level only.
Political scene
🛂 Some citizenship and immigration cases put on hold. Denmark has paused citizenship applications where an error in the Criminal Register could affect the decision. The Immigration Service has also suspended affected permanent-residence applications and certain family-reunification cases while police investigate the scale of the error.
🇩🇰 “Remigration” debate spills onto Copenhagen’s streets. A march calling for a “remigration” policy drew several hundred people in Copenhagen and was met by an anti-racism counter-demonstration. The event drew criticism after participants were filmed giving Nazi salutes. “Remigration” refers broadly to policies aimed at encouraging or forcing immigrants to leave, and the term has increasingly entered Denmark’s immigration debate after previously being associated with the far right.
🏛️ Sikandar Siddique set to lose his Copenhagen council seat. The Digitalization Ministry has announced that the Frie Grønne (Free Greens) leader did not live in Copenhagen when he ran in last year’s local election, meaning he was not eligible to stand. Authorities pointed to low electricity use and limited spending near his registered address. Copenhagen City Council will formally deal with the case on September 17, with his seat expected to pass to a substitute.
🇬🇱 EU invests 200 million EUR in Greenland. The European Union and Greenland have signed a new partnership covering housing, energy, tourism, digital connections, and critical raw materials. The money will be invested during 2026 and 2027, while the EU also wants to more than double its longer-term funding for Greenland. The move strengthens European ties with Greenland.
Daily Life in Denmark HQ
🥩 Calls for slaughter dates on meat after bacteria findings. An investigation found very high levels of bacteria in 30 steaks sold by Rema 1000, raising questions about how long meat can remain on sale. The producer, Danish Crown, says its own tests were satisfactory but has since tightened controls and shortened shelf life. A food-safety expert now wants slaughter dates printed on meat packaging so consumers can see how old it really is.
🔢 Denmark tests a new way to identify dyscalculia in schools. Schools are testing a new screening tool designed to identify students who struggle specifically with numbers and basic math. Denmark currently has no nationally recognized test for dyscalculia, unlike dyslexia. The pilot covers students from 2nd to 10th grade and could eventually lead to a common test available to schools nationwide. Researchers estimate that around 3–6% of students may be affected.
🐛 30,000 students join Denmark’s biggest insect hunt. Students from 532 schools are helping researchers carry out Denmark’s largest nationwide survey of insects. They are collecting insects and spider webs from 95 municipalities, which will then be analyzed using DNA technology. The project could reveal previously unknown species and give researchers a better picture of how Denmark’s biodiversity is changing.
🤰 Hospital tests new device to prevent birth tears. Hvidovre Hospital is testing a Danish-developed device designed to reduce tearing during births by distributing pressure more evenly. Around 8 in 10 first-time mothers experience some degree of tearing, and severe cases can cause lasting complications. The device is already CE-marked, but researchers still need to establish whether it actually reduces injuries in practice.
☄️ Greenland gets its giant meteorite back. Denmark has agreed to return Agpalilik, a 20-ton meteorite that was taken from Greenland to Copenhagen in the 1960s. Greenland’s parliament requested the return earlier this year, arguing that the meteorite is part of the country’s heritage. Denmark will pay for the transport, although its final home in Greenland has not yet been decided. The move is part of a wider push to return Greenlandic heritage currently held in Denmark.
☕ Ebeltoft Café lets customers choose their membership price. Go’ Kaffe is introducing a model where customers decide how much they want to pay to become members, after which they can buy coffee and baked goods at cost price. The idea is that people with smaller budgets can still afford to visit. After a successful trial, the scheme is expected to become permanent this autumn.
Danish Economics HQ
Our money
🔧 Skilled workers are outpacing people with university degrees on pay. Wages for tradespeople have risen about 22% over the past five years, compared with 17% for academics. One reason is strong demand: employers still struggle most to recruit workers in construction and technical trades. The figures suggest Denmark’s labor market is increasingly rewarding vocational skills, while pay growth for university-educated workers has been much closer to inflation.
⛽ Fuel prices may stay high for a long time. Petrol and diesel prices have climbed steeply as the Iran war disrupts global oil supplies, with petrol approaching 18 DKK per liter and diesel even higher. FDM (Union of Vehicle Owners) estimates that a family driving 20,000 km a year could pay more than 5,000 DKK extra. Prices could rise above 20 DKK per liter if the conflict worsens, and experts warn that even peace may not bring prices back to previous levels.
⚡ Green-energy owners hit by unexpected tax bills. Nearly 2,000 owners of older solar panels and household wind turbines are facing extra electricity tax bills after their systems briefly exceeded a 6 kW limit. Some say the excess was tiny and caused by equipment that had originally been officially approved. Politicians are now pushing for a tolerance threshold so minor technical breaches do not lead to full repayment and exclusion from the favorable net-metering scheme.
🛒 Food prices fall for a fourth month. Groceries were cheaper in August than the previous year, continuing a four-month decline not seen since before the pandemic. Dairy products, meat, pasta, oils, and flour became cheaper, while eggs, fish, and fruit and vegetables moved the other way. Overall inflation was 2%, with price increases elsewhere in the economy offsetting cheaper groceries.
State of the markets
💸 Interest rates rise again in Denmark. Danmarks Nationalbank has raised its main interest rates by 0.25 percentage points, effective from September 11, following a similar increase by the European Central Bank. The move takes the Danish lending rate to 2.25% and the deposit-related rates to 2.10%. The increase is likely to gradually affect variable-rate loans and mortgages, while existing fixed-rate borrowers are less directly exposed.
🏠 Second opinion proposed for property valuations. After errors were found in around 100,000 apartment valuations, the government wants homeowners to be able to get a second opinion from an independent expert if they dispute their assessment. The exact model has not been decided yet, but the minister has suggested using local real estate professionals. The proposal is meant to restore trust in Denmark’s troubled property valuation system.
🚌 New operators take over after Flextrafik breakdown. Vikingbus and Bergholdt are stepping in after LS Busser abruptly stopped operating, disrupting transport for vulnerable passengers on Fyn. In Faaborg-Midtfyn alone, around 150 young people were affected, along with others relying on transport to activities and services. The emergency replacement is now underway, but Vikingbus says it still needs up to 20 extra drivers to keep the service running reliably.
Entrepreneurship
🎤 Free online workshops on pitching and communication. The European-Ukrainian Hub is running a free three-part workshop series for anyone who wants to communicate ideas more clearly. Led by David Trayford, the sessions cover how to simplify complex ideas, structure a pitch so the key message lands, and present confidently without relying on a memorized script. The first workshop, Pitch Clarity, takes place on September 14 from 17:30–20:00 on Zoom. Each session can be joined separately, and participation is open to everyone.
International Community HQ
Community Noticeboard
💼 Job Search Event: Job interview 📍Odense | 🗓 September 17 | Learn how job interviews work in Denmark and how to approach the Danish labor market as an international. 🔗 More information
🌍 Global Festival 📍Nakskov | 🗓 September 18-19 | Two days of art, food, music, and culture, with information and resources for international residents settling in Lolland. 🔗 More information
🏡 Relocation and Job Fair 📍Tønder | 🗓 September 18 | Meet employers, explore job opportunities, and learn more about housing and everyday life in Southern Jutland. 🔗 More information
🎉 Aarhus City Welcome 📍Aarhus | 🗓 September 19 | Aarhus’ biggest annual event for internationals, with talks, practical information, networking, and activities. Participation is free, but registration is required. 🔗 More information
🦭 Mandø: The Wadden Sea & Seals 📍Ribe area | 🗓 September 19 | Travel by tractor bus across the sea floor, explore Mandø, and hike to the sandbanks to see seals in the wild. 🔗 More information
🧙 Fantasy Festival 📍Esbjerg | 🗓 September 19-20 | English- and Danish-speaking workshops, activities, and events for fantasy fans of all ages. 🔗 More information
Ambition After Babies 📍Copenhagen | 🗓 Sunday, September 20 | A ParentLab Salon, baby-friendly, adult-focused conversations and community. 🔗 Sign up
➕ Hosting something relevant to internationals in Denmark? Send it to us at noticeboard@lwid.dk
Denmark in Global Headlines
🇷🇺 “Denmark must stop servicing tankers sustaining Putin’s Arctic LNG trade” – High North News
🚲 “Denmark is a cycling nation but our research shows rates are declining – here’s why” – The Conversation
🇬🇱 “Is Trump the reason Denmark is finally confronting its dark past in Greenland?” – The Telegraph
🌬️ “Denmark’s Orsted says commission backs UK taxation of British wind farms” – Reuters
🗺️ “Trump’s map-making on social media stirs controversy in North Atlantic” – ABC News
🛂 “Denmark says it hopes to start deporting migrants to non-EU ‘return hubs’ as early as next year” – AP News
"Universities could reject non-EU students over security concerns." - what about European warmongers? That's my main security concern...
""Remigration” refers broadly to policies aimed at encouraging or forcing immigrants to leave" - not just immigrants, but also their descendants and other people deemed "undesirable". And, yes, it is fascism. It is crazy that people using this word are not automatically cancelled as Nazis. Makes you wonder where PISA low score comes from...
"Greenland gets its giant meteorite back." - great, when will children be returned?
"the Iran war disrupts global oil supplies" - as we are renaming things into America, why not call it American war? But, yeah, the problem was "an unprovoked invasion by Israel and the US", not "Iran war".