The government has launched a new financial support program aimed at public schools, independent primary schools, and vocational schools with fewer than 150 students. This initiative allocates 40 million Danish kroner (approximately 5.4 million USD) to ensure that smaller educational institutions in rural areas can maintain a quality level comparable to larger schools. The new funding is part of the government’s comprehensive efforts for rural development and is designated for the upcoming school year 2024-2025.
The funds can be used for various necessary improvements, including energy-saving projects, new educational materials, and a range of school activities. Distribution of the funds will be based on the number of students at each school. For public schools, the money will be managed through local municipalities.
Minister for Children and Education, Mattias Tesfaye, along with the Minister for Urban, Rural, and Church Affairs, Morten Dahlin, have also introduced an adjustment to the so-called taximeter model. This new model aims to prevent educational deserts in remote areas by reallocating financial resources from larger institutions to smaller ones.
Tesfaye has emphasized the need to counteract the trend of declining youth demographics, which could potentially result in the closure of educational institutions outside major urban centers. He highlighted that there are currently STX programs (upper secondary education programs) in 85 cities, but this number might decrease to 75 cities by 2035 if the government does not intervene. Therefore, the new plan will introduce a rural area grant of 3.8 million Danish kroner per institution and adjustments to the taximeter funding model, where institutions with over 700 students will receive less funding while smaller institutions will be allocated more resources.
The Rural Districts’ Joint Council (Landdistrikternes Fællesråd) welcomes the new financial support fund. Chairperson Steffen Damsgaard considers the support to be beneficial, but he also stresses that the 40 million kroner over two years is insufficient to meet all needs. He calls on the government to allocate additional funds in the future to ensure ongoing support for rural district schools.
This initiative forms part of the government’s broader strategy to ensure equal access to education across the country and to mitigate disparities between urban and rural areas. It represents an important step in efforts to ensure that all Danish children have access to quality education, regardless of their geographic location.