No money for substitute teachers

As the number of substitute teachers increases, municipalities continue cutting the funds to pay them

Despite teacher absenteeism continuing to rise following the introduction of new school reforms last August, municipalities are continuing to cut their budgets to pay substitute teachers. 

READ MORE: Schools hiring more substitutes to cover for stressed teachers

“This is a really bad place to save money,” Claus Hjortdal, the leader of Skolelederforeningen, the head teachers' union, told DR Nyheder.

“We have invested in the further education and advanced training of teachers so that they are ready to complete the work demanded by school reforms, so we need to have a lot of substitutes in place.”

Problems for school reform 
Odense had 28 million kroner in the city budget for substitutes in 2011. But this year, there is only 20 million kroner set aside in the budget for temporary teachers.

“This sounds bad,” Dorte Andreas, the chairperson of the Odense headteacher association, told DR Nyheder. “We will need plenty of substitutes next year.”

Teachers said that being forced to handle large classes without the help of substitutes puts the entire school reform process at risk. The situation in Odense is far from unique. Municipalities across the country are cutting their budgets for substitutes.

“This is foolish, said Hjortdal. “Municipalities need to invest in schools and continuing education and training to ensure that school reform is successful.”

TOP STORIES

  • Advice for expats: Navigating Life as an International in Denmark

    Advice for expats: Navigating Life as an International in Denmark

    Beginning this month, Expat Counselling will be contributing a monthly article to The Copenhagen Post, offering guidance, tools, and reflections on the emotional and social aspects of international life in Denmark. The first column is about Strategies for emotional resilience

  • New agreement criticized for not attracting enough internationals

    New agreement criticized for not attracting enough internationals

    Several mayors and business leaders across Denmark are not satisfied with the agreement that the government, the trade union movement and employers made last week. More internationals are needed than the agreement provides for

  • Let’s not fear the global – let’s use it wisely

    Let’s not fear the global – let’s use it wisely

    Copenhagen’s international community is not just a demographic trend – it’s a lifeline. Our hospitals, kindergartens, construction sites, laboratories and restaurants rely on talent from all over the world. In fact, more than 40% of all job growth in the city over the past decade has come from international employees.

  • The Danish Connection: Roskilde gossip, a DNA scandal & why young Danes are having less sex

    The Danish Connection: Roskilde gossip, a DNA scandal & why young Danes are having less sex

    With half of the population of Copenhagen at Roskilde this week, Eva away in Aalborg and the weather being a bit of a joke , Melissa and Rachel bring you a chatty episode to cheer you up looking into three of the top stories in Denmark this week.

  • A nation turns its hopeful eyes to Jonas Vingegaard

    A nation turns its hopeful eyes to Jonas Vingegaard

    The Tour de France has started and thus the news focus in Denmark for the next few weeks is defined. The double Tour winner will once again compete with the phenomenon Tadej Pogacar to stand at the top in Paris. Many Danes will daily follow whether one of the nation’s great sons succeeds

  • Palestine support voices characterize Roskilde in rain, sun and wind

    Palestine support voices characterize Roskilde in rain, sun and wind

    The 53rd edition of Roskilde Festival ended Saturday night. More than 100,000 people gathered to listen to music, party, drink – and for many to take a stand on the conflict between Israel and Palestine

Connect club

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.

Sign up here

Career

  • “It’s possible to lead even though you don’t fit the traditional leadership mold”

    “It’s possible to lead even though you don’t fit the traditional leadership mold”

    Describing herself as a “DEI poster child,” being queer, neurodivergent and an international in Denmark didn’t stop Laurence Paquette from climbing the infamous corporate ladder to become Marketing Vice President (VP) at Vestas. Arrived in 2006 from Quebec, Laurence Paquette unpacks the implications of exposing your true self at work, in a country that lets little leeway for individuality

  • Deal reached to bring more foreign workers to Denmark

    Deal reached to bring more foreign workers to Denmark

    Agreement between unions and employers allows more foreign workers in Denmark under lower salary requirements, with new ID card rules and oversight to prevent social dumping and ensure fair conditions.

  • New association helps international nurses and doctors Denmark

    New association helps international nurses and doctors Denmark

    Kadre Darman was founded this year to support foreign-trained healthcare professionals facing challenges with difficult authorisation processes, visa procedures, and language barriers, aiming to help them find jobs and contribute to Denmark’s healthcare system

Want to advertise your job with CPH Post?

Contact us

Jobs