Danish Education: En klassenstime kage (A Class Hour Cake)
October 15, 2012
Danish national figure Nikolai Grundtvig (1783-1872) made it one of his life missions to form a school system where all Danes could access learning for life, not learning for tests, grades, recognition of talent, or response to authority. As a priest, poet, historian, politician, and teacher he is famous for saying, “the person first, then the Christian.” His influence can be seen in the school system today and is generally framed in a positive light. Teachers are called by their first name, there is not frequent testing in the equivalent of US elementary schools, and very importantly there is klassenstime (class hour). In klassenstime students starting at the lowest levels of elementary school discuss how the class is conducted and the behavior of students with the aim of improving the learning experience for everyone once a week.
Klassentime is not a surprising concept after examining other aspects of Danish culture. Children are expected to speak for themselves at a young age and participate in household decisions, such as planning meals. It is said that after Denmark suffered a series of defeats in the 1800s, losing land and a diversified population, Danes adopted a tribal community policy: outward losses will be replaced by inward gains. The state will be a fire that everyone can warm themselves by, standing shoulder to shoulder, as equals. The fire of education does warm all children and the vast majority of high school aged teenagers in Denmark, something that cannot be said in the United States. A tribal community is complemented by the internally controversial, but recognized cultural concept of Janteloven; everyone is equal, it is rude to think you are better than others in any way.
Does Janteloven make it difficult for smart or talented students or athletes from shining in the classroom or on the field? Danes I have spoken with about the topic all say yes. Several Danes have told me they see shows like American Idol, and it seems that the United States is better at recognizing hard work and achievement. But are Danes less likely to succeed? The prosperity of the country, the importance of family, and the accomplishments and goals of the Danes I have met tell me no. Additionally, the Danes I have spoken with are proud of Denmark. There is also conflict in the United States over what is recognized as achievement and what isn’t. For example, students may feel it is more socially acceptable to go into music instead of math.
There is another cultural concept important to education; hyggeligt or coziness. I would describe hyggeligt as a feeling of warmth and security perhaps involving good friends, family, tea, candles, flowers, and a home cooked meal. The hyggeligt feeling can be achieved in a classroom where the teacher is not a disciplinary figure, you stay with the same kids until ninth grade, and there is no pressure to compete with others. Cake is sometimes brought to klassentime to help create hyggeligt. Although this cannot be proven, many Danes argue this is an environment where you can be genuinely excited about learning and learn about who you are. Other Danes argue this makes it more difficult for Danes to branch out and meet new people or compete in international companies.
I would like to share some of my qualitative observations on Danish education thus far after living with Danish students from a variety of disciplines and attending class at the Danish Technical University for two months. One, Danish students are more likely to go into fields they are passionate about and spend their free time on extracurriculars they enjoy than American students. Two, they do not feel stress about how well they do compared to their classmates. Three, they are more independent than American students. Four, they are only bad at meeting new people if you are bad at introducing yourself.
Please leave a response or contact me if you want more information about these topics in Danish culture; there is a lot more to be said and the risk of oversimplifying is always run in this writing format.
> Nikolai Grundtvig
> Education Equality in Denmark
> Janteloven
> Google image results for hyggeligt
> Class hour cake recipe
Does Janteloven make it difficult for smart or talented students or athletes from shining in the classroom or on the field? Danes I have spoken with about the topic all say yes. Several Danes have told me they see shows like American Idol, and it seems that the United States is better at recognizing hard work and achievement. But are Danes less likely to succeed? The prosperity of the country, the importance of family, and the accomplishments and goals of the Danes I have met tell me no. Additionally, the Danes I have spoken with are proud of Denmark. There is also conflict in the United States over what is recognized as achievement and what isn’t. For example, students may feel it is more socially acceptable to go into music instead of math.
There is another cultural concept important to education; hyggeligt or coziness. I would describe hyggeligt as a feeling of warmth and security perhaps involving good friends, family, tea, candles, flowers, and a home cooked meal. The hyggeligt feeling can be achieved in a classroom where the teacher is not a disciplinary figure, you stay with the same kids until ninth grade, and there is no pressure to compete with others. Cake is sometimes brought to klassentime to help create hyggeligt. Although this cannot be proven, many Danes argue this is an environment where you can be genuinely excited about learning and learn about who you are. Other Danes argue this makes it more difficult for Danes to branch out and meet new people or compete in international companies.
I would like to share some of my qualitative observations on Danish education thus far after living with Danish students from a variety of disciplines and attending class at the Danish Technical University for two months. One, Danish students are more likely to go into fields they are passionate about and spend their free time on extracurriculars they enjoy than American students. Two, they do not feel stress about how well they do compared to their classmates. Three, they are more independent than American students. Four, they are only bad at meeting new people if you are bad at introducing yourself.
Please leave a response or contact me if you want more information about these topics in Danish culture; there is a lot more to be said and the risk of oversimplifying is always run in this writing format.
> Nikolai Grundtvig
> Education Equality in Denmark
> Janteloven
> Google image results for hyggeligt
> Class hour cake recipe
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