Teachers’ Union Welcomes New Bill on Physical Intervention in Danish Schools but Calls for Stronger Focus on Prevention

A new bill from the Ministry of Children and Education, aimed at clarifying rules for physical intervention in Danish primary schools, has been welcomed by the Danish Union of Teachers (DLF).

However, union chairman Gordon Ørskov Madsen believes the legislation should go further by including a legal obligation for prevention, as recently introduced in Norway.

The proposed legislation, which is now under public consultation, has long been requested by the teachers’ union. In drafting the bill, the ministry has partly looked to Norway, where new rules in this area have recently been implemented.

“We know that one in three teachers in the past year has avoided using physical contact to restore calm in the classroom out of fear of negative consequences. That simply shouldn’t be the case, so there is a real need for this legislative change,” said Gordon Ørskov Madsen.

He highlighted as very positive that the bill focuses on all students’ right to a good learning environment and aims to create clearer and more practical rules for early intervention in escalating situations.

“We have been advocating for this for a long time – and as has been widely discussed in the media lately, we are facing a real issue with too much disruption in classrooms today, which we need to resolve for the benefit of all,” he said.

In Norway, schools are legally obligated to prevent situations that might require physical intervention by teachers. Gordon Ørskov Madsen sees it as a shortcoming that this approach is not included in the Danish proposal.

“We should definitely follow Norway’s example. That will be a focus for us during the consultation period and the continued work on the legislation – because preventive and pedagogical work must always come first. I would go so far as to say that it should make up 99 percent of the work regarding this issue,” he stated.

He also emphasized that legislation alone is just the first step towards the necessary changes in schools. It will require teachers to be properly equipped to understand and apply the new rules in practice.

“The understanding of these new rules must come through good guidance materials with examples written in a way that reflects the everyday reality of a typical school,” said Gordon Ørskov Madsen.

Finally, he pointed to the need for giving teachers more autonomy and the ability to exercise professional judgment in real-time situations.

“We would also like the law to ensure greater flexibility in terms of teachers’ discretion and judgment in specific situations, where quick action is often required. And we must focus on everything that forms the basis for this judgment: a trained teacher’s professional skills and experience, a strong teaching team, good knowledge of and relationships with students, more resources in teaching, and a trusting collaboration with parents. That requires a framework in schools that supports all of this – and investment from society to make it happen,” said Gordon Ørskov Madsen.