Several schools with diverse student populations report successfully discussing the Israel-Palestine conflict without problems, contradicting concerns raised by the Parliament. This follows the Parliament’s decision to exclude the recognition of Palestine as an independent state from next year’s school election, citing potential for conflict.

School administrators at multiple institutions insist that open dialogue about the Middle East is manageable and beneficial when conducted within structured guidelines. John Nielsen, head of Nørrebro Park Skole in Copenhagen, where approximately 40 percent of students have a non-Danish ethnic background, argues that suppressing discussion is more dangerous. He emphasizes the importance of allowing students to voice their opinions to prevent the conflict from becoming a real issue.

Helle Mønster, head of Ellehøjskolen in Aarhus, which has around 90 percent students with a different ethnic background than Danish, echoes this sentiment, saying that conversations about the Gaza conflict have been held without incident. She stresses the need to avoid censorship and instead establish clear rules for conversation to foster democratic participation.

Similar positive experiences were reported by Vestre Skole in Odense and Gl. Lindholm Skole in Aalborg, both of which have about 25 percent students with a different ethnic background than Danish.

Søren Gade, the Speaker of Parliament, had previously expressed concerns that debating Palestinian recognition in schools could “set fire to a class,” due to the complexity and sensitivity of the issue. He suggested that the topic could divide students more than unite them in democratic conversation, which is the primary goal of the school election. The purpose of the school election is “to strengthen young people’s democratic education and their political self-confidence,” according to the Parliament’s website.