A national investigation into violence in Danish primary schools has been launched by the Folketing’s Committee on Children and Education. This decision follows reports detailing instances of violence against students and teachers, prompting concerns about the prevalence and nature of such incidents.

The investigation, initiated by the Liberal Alliance, the Denmark Democrats, the Danish People’s Party, and the Conservatives, aims to address several key questions. These include the extent and types of violence among primary school students, the backgrounds of those involved, and the consequences for all parties affected, including teachers. The causes of the violence will also be examined.

Helena Artmann Andresen, spokesperson for the Liberal Alliance party, expressed satisfaction with the decision, highlighting the need to break the taboo surrounding violence in primary schools. She emphasized the under-reporting of incidents and the importance of gathering more information to effectively address the issue.

The Ministry of Education will be responsible for developing a proposal for how the investigation will be conducted. Minister of Education Mattias Tesfaye acknowledged that he had seen limited documentation of violence in schools prior to the reports. Data collected by Berlingske revealed that students at approximately one-third of Danish primary schools had been expelled 1,778 times in the past two years, primarily due to violence.

The investigation will also consider the ethnicity of students involved in violent incidents. Recent data has shown a statistical correlation between violence against teachers and the proportion of non-Western students in Copenhagen schools.

Minister Tesfaye stated that the government will launch an investigation into violence in schools and expressed his ambition to begin within a few months. He hopes the investigation will inform a future amendment to the law, providing teachers with better opportunities to intervene physically when students are disruptive or violent. He also acknowledged disagreements among parties regarding the methods to achieve a school environment without violence.