Since 1967, Danish teachers have only had the right to physically intervene with students in cases where their own safety or that of others is at risk. From August 2027, if the new bill is passed, they will be allowed to “hold a student, restrain him in place or take him to another space against his will” if he disrupts the order during class, reports the Telegraph.
The reform proposed by the center-left government in Copenhagen, media reports, is one of the most controversial reforms to Danish education in recent years. Currently, teachers can only use force if a student poses a danger to themselves, others or school property.
The law, drafted by the Ministry of Education, comes after calls from the national teachers’ union, which has long warned that managing disruptive students is becoming increasingly difficult.
“Teachers should not be left in a dilemma about what they are allowed to do when the situation escalates. And no teacher should fear being fired just for intervening when necessary in a violent situation,” said Education Minister Magnus Hojnicke.
For almost 60 years, the use of force in Danish schools has been practically prohibited, since the country banned corporal punishment in 1967.
VIOLENCE AMONG CHILDREN IS INCREASING
Danish teachers are facing a rise in violence among children, especially in the lower grades, and say they fear the consequences if they intervene.
A study published by the Ministry of Education on October 1 showed that during 2025, physical violence between students was reported at least once in 55 percent of classrooms, while in 36 percent of them such incidents occurred once a month.
Physical violence was reported in 75 percent of the lowest grades, from zero to third grade, while the percentage dropped to 59 percent in grades four to six and to 27 percent in grades seven to ten.
Most of the violence was concentrated among a small number of students. In 60 percent of classrooms where incidents were reported, it was noted that only one or two children were involved.
The research did not reveal any general link between students’ ethnicity and higher levels of violence or aggressive behavior.
“Over the past year, every third teacher has refrained from physical contact to establish order in the classroom, for fear of negative consequences,” said Gordon Orskov Madsen, president of the teachers’ union.
The bill was originally prepared last fall by Mathias Tesfaye, former Minister of Education.
“RETURN OF AUTHORITY”
Tesfaye stated that he wants to prioritize restoring “discipline” and “authority” in schools, while criticizing parents whose children, according to him, had a “pissedarligt uudragede” – a Danish expression meaning “catastrophically bad upbringing.”
The draft law has caused controversy, while more than 500 education experts and non-governmental organizations had previously signed a joint statement in protest against the reform.
Rasmus Kjeldahl, director of the National Association for Children’s Rights, expressed concern that “the relationship of trust between students and their teachers will be damaged if teachers start behaving like police officers.”
The bill is similar to legislation in England, under which teachers can use “reasonable physical force” to prevent a disturbance, but never as a form of punishment.