Welcome to the Danish School Experience

Danish schools offering English-language programmes gladly welcome international, and particularly European students, to apply for any remaining places not taken by Danish applicants, as well as children of expatriate families. This often leads to an unintended, but logical age gap, as foreigners usually come from a school system with a more graduation-focused approach. 

​

The Danish upper secondary school system is designed for 16–17-year-olds who, throughout childhood, have been raised to be independent, outspoken, confident in classroom discussions, and largely unaffected by parental opinions. International students, by contrast, are often one to one-and-a-half years younger. 

 

This age difference can create challenges, as they not only leave the security of their home environment but must also adapt to an educational system built on meeting expectations for personal responsibility, independence, and mutual trust suited to older students. 

 

These principles can be challenging to grasp at first, which is why we aim to clarify the expectations behind them.

 

Responsibility for One’s Own Learning

Danish schools place great emphasis on independence. In addition to being expected to participate actively in class, students must also retrieve and plan their learning through the school’s intranet; Lektio, where they can find all information related to their school day, such as

 

• daily schedules, homework, and assignments

• deadlines and grades

• absence registration

 

Students are responsible for staying up to date, meeting deadlines, and managing their attendance. Since parents do not have access to Lektio, learning self-management is a key part of the Danish school experience. 

 

Freedom with Responsibility

In Denmark, students are trusted to manage many aspects of daily life when living on campus or in boarding facilities. Expectations include, fx:

 

• keeping their room tidy and doing laundry

• completing homework independently

• getting in bed on time, and getting up early enough to meet in the classroom on time

 

This level of freedom helps young people develop confidence and life skills. Still, we have also realised that it is difficult for very young students to manage all these expectations on their own, while also finding a healthy balance so that the pressure does not turn into excessive self-control, which, in the worst cases, can lead to reduced well-being.

 

Building Friendships Across Cultures

Making friends is an essential part of the school experience. Danish students are older and accustomed to greater independence, especially in social life, dating, and alcohol use. Therefore, the Danish party and alcohol culture often come as a surprise to international students. 

 

At the same time, it is frequently in these social settings that inhibitions are lowered on both sides, and the first conversations and early steps toward new friendships begin. 

 

We Are Here to Support Your Teen 

We do not wish to worry anyone, but rather to inform families about the Danish context and the reality their children will be entering. 

 

These are all aspects we pay close attention to, and we talk openly with our students about them when we meet them at school and during shared activities throughout the year.

​