Seventeen municipalities to test virtual classrooms until 2028
In an ambitious nationwide experiment, 17 Danish municipalities are now authorized to offer online schooling to children with long-term and worrying absences from physical education. The pilot initiative, launched by the Ministry of Children and Education (Børne- og Undervisningsministeriet), aims to explore whether digital classrooms can help reintegrate students into the social and academic life of public schools (folkeskole).
A new approach to tackle chronic absenteeism
This four-year pilot project, running until the end of 2028, is part of a broader political agreement to improve the quality of Danish public schools. It allows participating municipalities to temporarily bypass certain sections of the Folkeskole Act and set up municipal online education programmes that can operate across schools and even municipal boundaries.
The programme targets students with what authorities call “long-term worrying absenteeism” (langvarigt bekymrende fravær). These are children who, for various personal, psychological, or social reasons, struggle to attend school physically for extended periods.
“School should be for everyone — including those who find it difficult to be there in person,” said Minister of Children and Education Mattias Tesfaye (S). “We need to see what works and how we can get more students back into the classroom.”
Participating municipalities span the entire country
The 17 municipalities selected for the trial include both urban and rural areas:
- Aalborg
- Ballerup
- Faaborg-Midtfyn
- Gladsaxe
- Greve
- Haderslev
- Helsingør
- Herning
- Hjørring
- Holbæk
- Hvidovre
- Lyngby-Taarbæk
- Næstved
- Roskilde
- Rudersdal
- Slagelse
- Vesthimmerlands
Some, such as Gladsaxe and Helsingør, are already technically prepared to start accepting students online.
Goals: from screens to classrooms
The core objective is not to replace in-person education, but to use digital tools as a transitional step. Online schooling is expected to help students maintain academic engagement while gradually rebuilding the social confidence and skills needed to return to a physical classroom environment.
The programme will also test how these digital initiatives work in combination with pedagogical, social, and health interventions. The government hopes this integrated approach will accelerate students’ return to traditional schooling and promote long-term inclusion.
Evaluating success and next steps
The initiative is part of the “Quality Programme for the Folkeskole”, agreed upon in March 2024. By 2029, a formal evaluation will be presented to the political parties involved in the national school agreement (folkeskoleforligskredsen), who will decide whether the model warrants legislative changes.
Until then, the focus will be on collecting data, sharing best practices among municipalities, and testing the viability of virtual education as a support mechanism — not as a substitute — for children facing complex challenges.
