A new study shows that most public school students in Denmark generally thrive, but the percentage of students who do not thrive is increasing. The well-being survey for the school year 2023/2024, released by the Ministry of Children and Education, reveals that 86.1 percent of students from 4th to 9th grade are satisfied with their school experience. This is a decrease compared to last year’s figure of 87.5 percent, and even lower compared to the peak year of 2015/2016, when the number was 93 percent. Despite the positive figures, Minister of Education Mattias Tesfaye is concerned about the declining trend. “Although many students are still happy to go to school, we must work to ensure that even more thrive in the future,” he says.
In March, a new public school agreement was reached, aiming to give schools more freedom. The agreement introduces more elective subjects and increases students’ choices, while reducing the number of exams. Tesfaye believes that these initiatives will be crucial for students’ well-being and academic development. The well-being survey also shows regional differences. Students in the North Jutland Region report the highest well-being, while the Region of Zealand ranks lowest with a difference of 3.3 percentage points.
The survey is conducted using an electronic questionnaire, where students in 4th to 9th grade answer 40 questions, while younger students in 0th to 3rd grade receive 20 simpler questions. The survey categorizes the questions into four main categories: academic well-being, social well-being, support and inspiration, as well as peace and order. The results show that students experience the highest well-being in social relationships, while well-being related to support and inspiration is the lowest. The latter covers students’ feelings of motivation, participation, and teacher support.