Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Monday
PM Frederiksen comments on attack on Israel, government to change criteria for school teachers and left-wing party wants cheap rail pass. Here’s the news from Denmark on Monday.
Frederiksen: We support Israel and its right to defend itself
Denmark supports Israel’s right to defend itself, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said yesterday after Hamas attacked the south of Israel on Saturday morning, sparking violent hostilities.
“My thoughts go to all the victims – civilians have been killed and wounded on both sides. But it’s also clear that Israel has the right to defend itself because its Israel that is being attacked, and very, very violently so, during these days,” Frederiksen said.
“Hamas is a terrorist organisation, it’s on the EU’s terror list, and nothing can legitimise or justify what we have seen from yesterday morning up to now,” the PM said on Sunday evening.
Vocabulary: at retfærdiggøre – to justify
Government wants to drop rule securing qualified teachers
The government wants to drop a requirement for teachers at Denmark’s elementary schools or folkeskoler to have degrees or other forms of further education in the subjects they are teaching.
Current rules demand that 95 percent of lessons at schools are taken by teachers who are trained in the subject at hand.
“In some places it’s perhaps more important that small children meet fewer adults than that they meet an adult who has studied the subject,” Education Minister Mattias Tesfaye told newspaper Berlingske.
The comments by Tesfaye come after Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen hinted during last week’s opening of parliament that reforms could be on the way to schools.
Vocabulary: faguddannet – specialised in a subject
Party wants 400 kroner discount rail ticket
Left-wing party Red-Green Alliance (Enhedslisten) wants a new ticket format on national railways which could offer passengers considerable savings.
The “Denmark card” proposed by the party would cost 399 kroner per month and give the holder access to public transport across the entire country. It would cost the state 1.3 billion kroner, Red-Green alliance estimates based on figures from the Danish Civil and Railway Authority (Trafikstyrelsen).
The model is comparable to the popular €49 rail ticket currently available in Germany, but the Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen has already said such a model is unlikely to be used in Denmark.
READ ALSO: Why a Danish version of Germany’s €49 rail ticket looks unlikely
Vocabulary: rabat – discount
Robot vacuum cleaners to be used by social care services
At least 12 Danish municipalities plan to use robot vacuum cleaners to save care sector staff time during visits to elderly residents, broadcaster DR reports.
One of the local authorities, Faaborg-Midtfyn, says it could save 1.9 million kroner per year once its fleet of robot vacuumers is fully rolled out in 2026.
“This is an attempt to use the resources we have in the best possible way. We are saving the equivalent of four staff,” an official from the municipality told DR.
The social care sector is among those to have report a major staff shortage in recent years.
Vocabulary: rengøring – cleaning
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Frederiksen: We support Israel and its right to defend itself
Denmark supports Israel’s right to defend itself, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said yesterday after Hamas attacked the south of Israel on Saturday morning, sparking violent hostilities.
“My thoughts go to all the victims – civilians have been killed and wounded on both sides. But it’s also clear that Israel has the right to defend itself because its Israel that is being attacked, and very, very violently so, during these days,” Frederiksen said.
“Hamas is a terrorist organisation, it’s on the EU’s terror list, and nothing can legitimise or justify what we have seen from yesterday morning up to now,” the PM said on Sunday evening.
Vocabulary: at retfærdiggøre – to justify
Government wants to drop rule securing qualified teachers
The government wants to drop a requirement for teachers at Denmark’s elementary schools or folkeskoler to have degrees or other forms of further education in the subjects they are teaching.
Current rules demand that 95 percent of lessons at schools are taken by teachers who are trained in the subject at hand.
“In some places it’s perhaps more important that small children meet fewer adults than that they meet an adult who has studied the subject,” Education Minister Mattias Tesfaye told newspaper Berlingske.
The comments by Tesfaye come after Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen hinted during last week’s opening of parliament that reforms could be on the way to schools.
Vocabulary: faguddannet – specialised in a subject
Party wants 400 kroner discount rail ticket
Left-wing party Red-Green Alliance (Enhedslisten) wants a new ticket format on national railways which could offer passengers considerable savings.
The “Denmark card” proposed by the party would cost 399 kroner per month and give the holder access to public transport across the entire country. It would cost the state 1.3 billion kroner, Red-Green alliance estimates based on figures from the Danish Civil and Railway Authority (Trafikstyrelsen).
The model is comparable to the popular €49 rail ticket currently available in Germany, but the Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen has already said such a model is unlikely to be used in Denmark.
READ ALSO: Why a Danish version of Germany’s €49 rail ticket looks unlikely
Vocabulary: rabat – discount
Robot vacuum cleaners to be used by social care services
At least 12 Danish municipalities plan to use robot vacuum cleaners to save care sector staff time during visits to elderly residents, broadcaster DR reports.
One of the local authorities, Faaborg-Midtfyn, says it could save 1.9 million kroner per year once its fleet of robot vacuumers is fully rolled out in 2026.
“This is an attempt to use the resources we have in the best possible way. We are saving the equivalent of four staff,” an official from the municipality told DR.
The social care sector is among those to have report a major staff shortage in recent years.
Vocabulary: rengøring – cleaning
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