With their children now having been back in school for a month, doubts about the largest school reform in modern Danish history have begun to subside. 

 

In the first opinion poll conducted since the school year began, nearly half of all parents with children in public schools are pleased with what they have seen thus far. 

 

Of the parental respondents, 47 percent thought that the changes brought on by the school reform were either ‘good’ or ‘very good’ for their children. Twenty-one percent said the changes were ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’, while 26 percent thought that the changes have made no difference either way. 

 

See also: Denmark's public schools enter a new era

 

The education minister, Christine Antorini, welcomed the poll results and predicted that even more parents would give the reform passing marks as the school year progresses.

 

“This is a really big reform and there will certainly be some mistakes here and there and things that will have to be done differently. Therefore we need to give the schools some peace and quiet to carefully find their legs,” she told DR. 

 

“Hopefully a majority of parents will come on board when they can see that the reform is something that both makes their children both better and happier to go to school,” she added. 

 

The biggest and most obvious element of the national school reform is the introduction of longer days, but the reform also includes the introduction of ‘homework cafes’, where students can get help with their assignments during school hours, compulsory physical activity and an stronger focus on foreign languages.