Denmark to allow Ukrainian children to be taught in Ukrainian and English
The Danish parliament has agreed to make an exception from education laws allowing children to be taught in either Ukrainian or English for a limited period, in a measure to accommodate refugees from Ukraine.
The decision was confirmed by the Ministry of Children and Education in a statement on Monday.
Danish rules normally require lessons at the country’s state schools, folkeskoler, to be taught in Danish (apart from foreign languages lessons). But that will now be optional when teaching children from Ukraine, who may be given lessons in their own language or in English.
“The large number of displaced Ukrainians we are receiving in Denmark at the moment is placing significant strain on municipalities,” Minister for Children and Education Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil said in the statement.
“We must address this. We are therefore giving municipalities extraordinary flexibility which can help to ensure that Ukrainian children have as good an everyday life as possible here in Denmark,” she said.
The political agreement allows municipalities to provide special childcare and school services for children from Ukraine who have been granted residency in Denmark under the special law for Ukrainian refugees, passed last month.
The aim of the agreement is to enable Ukrainian children to take part in Danish society as much as possible while they are in the Nordic country, while also retaining their own language, culture and identity, the ministry said.
The agreement also allows Ukrainian parents to apply for subsidies to care for their children at home. This normally requires parents to be Danish speakers and have lived in Denmark for seven of the last eight years.
READ ALSO: What benefits are you entitled to if you have children in Denmark?
The law change is expected to be rushed through parliament and take effect as soon as possible. I t will include a so-called “sundown clause”, meaning a set date at which it is automatically revoked. This will be in March 2024.
All parties in parliament support the arrangement with one exception, the Independent Greens.
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The decision was confirmed by the Ministry of Children and Education in a statement on Monday.
Danish rules normally require lessons at the country’s state schools, folkeskoler, to be taught in Danish (apart from foreign languages lessons). But that will now be optional when teaching children from Ukraine, who may be given lessons in their own language or in English.
“The large number of displaced Ukrainians we are receiving in Denmark at the moment is placing significant strain on municipalities,” Minister for Children and Education Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil said in the statement.
“We must address this. We are therefore giving municipalities extraordinary flexibility which can help to ensure that Ukrainian children have as good an everyday life as possible here in Denmark,” she said.
The political agreement allows municipalities to provide special childcare and school services for children from Ukraine who have been granted residency in Denmark under the special law for Ukrainian refugees, passed last month.
The aim of the agreement is to enable Ukrainian children to take part in Danish society as much as possible while they are in the Nordic country, while also retaining their own language, culture and identity, the ministry said.
The agreement also allows Ukrainian parents to apply for subsidies to care for their children at home. This normally requires parents to be Danish speakers and have lived in Denmark for seven of the last eight years.
READ ALSO: What benefits are you entitled to if you have children in Denmark?
The law change is expected to be rushed through parliament and take effect as soon as possible. I t will include a so-called “sundown clause”, meaning a set date at which it is automatically revoked. This will be in March 2024.
All parties in parliament support the arrangement with one exception, the Independent Greens.
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