Denmark to cut out screen time at kindergartens
Denmark’s kindergartens (børnehaver) and creches (vuggestuer) will no longer be able to allow children to look at tablets or other screens following a new political agreement.
Children will no longer be allowed to watch screens while at childcare institutions in Denmark unless exceptional circumstances apply, the country’s Minister for Schools and Children Mattias Tesfaye said on Wednesday.
Tesfaye said that screens must not be used as a “support carer”, even on busy days or when kindergartens are about to close.
“That’s discount welfare. This is not how it should be in Denmark. If you pick up your child five minutes before closing time, you shouldn’t see the carer putting chairs on tables while your daughter watches Peppa Pig,” he said.
“There must be quality caring time from when you drop off to when you pick up. I know that the days are busy but we mustn’t cut corners,” he said.
“I’ve also heard the one about bad weather and not enough staff to go to the playground, and that it can be beneficial for two or three children to watch cartoons. But that’s not how I think it should be,” he said.
The law will not be a full ban on using televisions or tablets but will apply a “restrictive” approach according to the minister.
Screens will only be permitted in “very special circumstances” according to the political agreement.
The new rules on screens will also apply to private childcare, the schools ministry said in a statement.
Recent recommendations have advised very limited screen use in young children and the government has previously signalled its intention to restrict screens at childcare institutions.
“We want the clear principle to be that when we meet at creche and kindergarten, it’s face to face and not with a screen,” Tesfaye said.
READ ALSO: Danish charity recommends screen ban for two year olds
The agreement is between the government and the Socialist People’s Party (SF), Red Green Alliance, Social Liberals, Danish People’s Party, Alternative and Nye Borgerlige, meaning it will have a clear majority allowing a later parliamentary bill to be voted into law.
It includes two “principles” relating to the use of screens in childcare.
The first, relating to children aged two and under, restricts the use of mobiles, phones and tablets to “very special circumstances”, for example if needed when caring for children with special cognitive or educational needs.
The second, relating to children aged three to five, allows only “professionally justified” use of screens while the children are being cared for.
Tesfaye said it is unclear how widespread the use of screens is at kindergartens due to a lack of “solid research which points one way or the other”.
“This [agreement] reflects a safety-first approach because we don’t want our children to be guinea pigs for something we don’t know the long term consequences of,” he said.
The ministry said it expects a bill to be tabled early next year and passed by July 2024.
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Children will no longer be allowed to watch screens while at childcare institutions in Denmark unless exceptional circumstances apply, the country’s Minister for Schools and Children Mattias Tesfaye said on Wednesday.
Tesfaye said that screens must not be used as a “support carer”, even on busy days or when kindergartens are about to close.
“That’s discount welfare. This is not how it should be in Denmark. If you pick up your child five minutes before closing time, you shouldn’t see the carer putting chairs on tables while your daughter watches Peppa Pig,” he said.
“There must be quality caring time from when you drop off to when you pick up. I know that the days are busy but we mustn’t cut corners,” he said.
“I’ve also heard the one about bad weather and not enough staff to go to the playground, and that it can be beneficial for two or three children to watch cartoons. But that’s not how I think it should be,” he said.
The law will not be a full ban on using televisions or tablets but will apply a “restrictive” approach according to the minister.
Screens will only be permitted in “very special circumstances” according to the political agreement.
The new rules on screens will also apply to private childcare, the schools ministry said in a statement.
Recent recommendations have advised very limited screen use in young children and the government has previously signalled its intention to restrict screens at childcare institutions.
“We want the clear principle to be that when we meet at creche and kindergarten, it’s face to face and not with a screen,” Tesfaye said.
READ ALSO: Danish charity recommends screen ban for two year olds
The agreement is between the government and the Socialist People’s Party (SF), Red Green Alliance, Social Liberals, Danish People’s Party, Alternative and Nye Borgerlige, meaning it will have a clear majority allowing a later parliamentary bill to be voted into law.
It includes two “principles” relating to the use of screens in childcare.
The first, relating to children aged two and under, restricts the use of mobiles, phones and tablets to “very special circumstances”, for example if needed when caring for children with special cognitive or educational needs.
The second, relating to children aged three to five, allows only “professionally justified” use of screens while the children are being cared for.
Tesfaye said it is unclear how widespread the use of screens is at kindergartens due to a lack of “solid research which points one way or the other”.
“This [agreement] reflects a safety-first approach because we don’t want our children to be guinea pigs for something we don’t know the long term consequences of,” he said.
The ministry said it expects a bill to be tabled early next year and passed by July 2024.
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