Teachers report worsening violence at Danish schools

Near half of the teachers who responded to a survey by the Danish Union of Teachers said that they witnessed violent behaviour between students on a daily or weekly basis, with slightly more than half saying that violent episodes were getting more common. 

The survey was carried out after a string of severe bullying cases at Danish primary schools have been reported in the media. 

Fully 359 of the 2,426 teachers who responded to the survey said they witnessed students hitting, kicking, pushing, throwing objects, biting or spitting at eachother on a daily basis, with 817 saying this happened weekly. 

Some 624 said there were significantly more episodes than five years ago and 619 that there were slightly more episodes. Around 540 said that the number of episodes was about the same. 

The survey, which was carried out along with the broadcaster TV2, followed reports of violence and abuse at Borup Skole in Køge Municipality.

Danish vocabulary: skub – pushing

Danish electric car firm faces bankruptcy

Fisker Inc, the electric car firm founded by the Danish automative designer Henrik Fisker, is sharply cut the prices of most of its models as it faces a bankruptcy, the Business Insider wesbite has reported. 

On Tuesday, the company announced that its Ocean SUV would become $6,700 cheaper, making it only slightly more that half of the price of Tesla’s Model X. 

The announcement came after a potential deal between Fisker and a “major car manufacturer” collapsed, sending shares plummeting. 

Danish vocabulary: konkurs – bankrupcty

More Danes seek help with confirmation costs

Charities in Denmark such as Dansk Folkehjælp, Børnesagens Fællesråd, and Foreningen til Støtte af Mødre og Børn, have reported that growing numbers of people in Denmark are requesting help for the cost of holding small parties for the confirmation of their children in the Church of Denmark. 

According to Dansk Folkehjælp, 850 people asked for help this year, an increase of 30 percent on 2023, while Børnesagen’s Fællesråd saw the number rise to 343 this year from 306 last year and Foreningen til Støtte af Mødre og Børn saw the number of requests rise to 436 from 423. 

Danes traditionally hold their confirmation ceremonies on Shrove Monday, which fell on Feb 12th this year, and typically hold a party for the young person who is formally admitted to the church. 

Maria Blankensteiner, from Foreningen til Støtte af Mødre og Børn, said that those seeking assistance were typically give a voucher for 2,500 kroner. 

“This means that you can buy some cheap confirmation clothes and hold a small party where you invite the closest family and perhaps the confirmand’s best friend,” she said. 

Danish vocabulary: stigende efterspørgsel – rising demand

Silkeborg hotdog stall wins “Denmark’s best frikadelle” 

Brian Flink Pedersen, the owner of Pølsemageriet in Silkeborg on Jutland has been working flat out since he was crowned last week as the producer of “Denmark’s best frikadelle”, with his version of Denmark’s much-loved meatball rated the best. 

“This week we have sold approximately 20 times as much as we usually do. It has been sold out every day,” Pedersen told TV2 of how last week’s award had affected business. 

In a normal week, he sells between 300-400 portions of frikadeller, last week he sold more than 5,000. 

His winning frikadelle was pan-fried with tart apple, bacon and a little thyme, and that was the variety in demand last week. 

Danish vocabulary: udsolgt – sold out