High School students strike against cuts

High school students across Denmark demonstrated on Monday against the government’s proposed educational reform that includes budget cuts, particularly affecting larger schools like Silkeborg Gymnasium, the country’s largest, which could lose eight million kroner annually. Students, including organizer Maria Pedersen, oppose the reform that limits their educational choices and extracurricular activities. The government’s reform aims to create three types of high schools (STX, HHX, and a new EPX), lifting smaller schools at the cost of larger ones. However, the schools argue that the benefits of size are negated by their distribution across multiple locations. The proposed abolition of the A-level subject allowance could also reduce the number of science students. Joachim Federspiel, head of the student union, urges the government to consider their concerns for Denmark’s future. The strike culminates with demonstrations and speeches at Christiansborg in Copenhagen.