A recent national study has revealed disturbingly poor quality in Danish kindergartens, indicating a need for significant adjustments to rectify the situation. The study, the largest of its kind to date, has sparked concern among parents, researchers, and politicians alike.

The research highlights instances of children being left alone, lacking sufficient support in social interactions, and experiencing invalidating and potentially coercive interactions with adults. These findings have raised serious questions about the current state of early childhood education in Denmark and its potential long-term consequences.

The study, conducted by the analysis institute VIVE and the Danish Evaluation Institute (EVA), involved observations from 100 day care institutions and 185 rooms. One of the key findings revealed that staff in seven out of ten rooms only “rarely” or “occasionally” support children who need help to engage in play or the community.

The chairman of the Parents’ National Association, Signe Nielsen, expressed her disappointment and concern, emphasizing the crucial importance of the first years of a child’s life for their development. She called for political action to address the issue and highlighted the potential link between the poor quality of kindergartens and the increasing malaise and boundary-breaking behavior observed among young people.

According to the study’s findings, none of the observed rooms were found to have a “pedagogical learning environment” of “excellent” quality, and only 9 percent were rated as “good.” A concerning 28 percent were rated as having “insufficient” quality, indicating that children in these environments are not adequately comforted or supported when upset, and may experience invalidation, coercion, and scolding.

Education Minister Mattias Tesfaye acknowledged the study’s findings and expressed his dissatisfaction with the current situation. While he acknowledged the initiatives taken in recent years to improve staffing, salaries, and pedagogical education, he emphasized that these efforts should have been implemented much earlier. The government has recently allocated additional funding for pedagogical upskilling of staff.