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EDUCATION

Danish scientists go back to school

The annual Danish Science Festival takes place next month, with 600 science orientated events and more than 75,000 people taking part.

Published: 29 March 2017 16:09 CEST
Danish scientists go back to school
Photo: motorolka/Depositphotos

Supported by the Danish Ministry of Science and Education, the festival promotes the fundamental element of scientific endeavour, curiosity, to the next generation of budding scientists and engineers, say its organisers Science Nordic.

The festival will aim to create meeting places for scientists and the public, and addresses how research and innovation can help to solve challenges of society.

Events throughout the festival aim to encourage the public to enter the world of research and foster new relationships between research and society.

This year, as part of the festival, organisers are collaborating with research news media Videnskab.dk to run the “book a scientist” scheme. Groups of 20 or more can “book a scientist” to come to a school, library, or local interest group in Denmark to tell them all about the latest, ground-breaking research from Danish universities.

The scheme aims to promote the reputation of Danish science throughout the country, by arranging for scientists, whether they speak Danish or English, to communicate their research to the general public.

A list of some of the English-speaking scientists still available for bookings who are taking part in this year’s scheme can be found here.

The scheme is a unique opportunity to hear directly from top scientists, say its organisers.

The book a scientist scheme gives everyone in Denmark a unique opportunity to book a free presentation from a scientist bringing the public face to face with the newest ground-breaking science throughout the week-long Danish Science Festival.

The scheme is open to everyone, including school children of all ages and interested organisations. For example, library groups, private companies, special interest societies, or simply a group of people who want to hear more about a particular branch of science.

The only requirement is that an audience of at least 20 people and a suitable venue to host the visit can be guaranteed.

The festival runs from April 24th for one week and scientists can be booked until April 3rd.

You can read more about the festival in English on ScienceNordic or in Danish at Videnskab.dk.

This article was adapted and reproduced with the permission of ScienceNordic.

EDUCATION

Sweden’s Social Democrats call for ban on new free schools

Sweden's opposition Social Democrats have called for a total ban on the establishment of new profit-making free schools, in a sign the party may be toughening its policies on profit-making in the welfare sector.

Published: 18 April 2024 16:09 CEST
Sweden's Social Democrats call for ban on new free schools

“We want the state to slam on the emergency brakes and bring in a ban on establishing [new schools],” the party’s leader, Magdalena Andersson, said at a press conference.

“We think the Swedish people should be making the decisions on the Swedish school system, and not big school corporations whose main driver is making a profit.” 

Almost a fifth of pupils in Sweden attend one of the country’s 3,900 primary and secondary “free schools”, first introduced in the country in the early 1990s. 

Even though three quarters of the schools are run by private companies on a for-profit basis, they are 100 percent state funded, with schools given money for each pupil. 

This system has come in for criticism in recent years, with profit-making schools blamed for increasing segregation, contributing to declining educational standards and for grade inflation. 

In the run-up to the 2022 election, Andersson called for a ban on the companies being able to distribute profits to their owners in the form of dividends, calling for all profits to be reinvested in the school system.  

READ ALSO: Sweden’s pioneering for-profit ‘free schools’ under fire 

Andersson said that the new ban on establishing free schools could be achieved by extending a law banning the establishment of religious free schools, brought in while they were in power, to cover all free schools. 

“It’s possible to use that legislation as a base and so develop this new law quite rapidly,” Andersson said, adding that this law would be the first step along the way to a total ban on profit-making schools in Sweden. 

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