Danish Education System

In the Danish education system there is a discussion on how the sport as an integrated part of the school can promote the people's health, increase the participation in sports and contribute to promoting the national level in the area of the sport.

In the last years the Danish Parliament has begun a number of new activities because obesity among children is a great problem and because many of them do little or no exercise at all.

New didactic plans for the kindergartens have been approved. These plans show great interest in sports and movements. The Naestved Municipality follows up with a specific suggestion called: Sport for the small ones.

The Danish Parliament has also approved a reform in the primary school. Consequently, sport as the subject obtains now more attention in the course of education.

The Minister of Education has initiated the development programme called: "The School of Movements", which brings into focus better opportunities of sports and movements for kindergartens children and those up to third grade.

The Danish schools cannot make this task on their own. As it is important to establish a cooperation between schools and athletic associations, the Danish Ministry of Cultural Affairs created a foundation "Children and Youngsters in Movement", which supports cooperation between schools, associations, youth clubs and after-school care agreements.

The reason for this new pool is - among other things - the polarisation in the habits of sports of the children and adolescents. Active children go in for sports whereas the smaller ones remain more and more passive and therefore more difficult to reach through the usual associations' activities.

Probably the most effective youth club for young people (age 10-14) in Denmark, is to be found in Naestved. This youth club is managed by the biggest sports association with more than 3,000 members and goes by the name: "Danmark Herlufsholm Gymnastik-forening". It is financed by the municipality and by its members. One of the mottos is: Have fun with sports in a new way! More than 70 youngsters visit the club every day, making the club so popular that there is a waiting list for new members. Naestved Municipality is considering whether to establish another youth club focusing on sports. Youth clubs run by sports associations - Club - HG - 70 children - in Naestved.

The municipality is also favouring the students who have a special talent for practising sports at the elite level. It is possible to attend the largest Gymnasium in the city - Naestved Gymnasium - and practise sports at elite level at the same time. In cooperation with the national association Team Denmark a plan of education is made for each sport-student and it is possible to prolong the education up to one year to allow the youngster to concentrate on his or her sport. Through ,,Team Naestved" Naestved Municipality is providing grants to youngsters with a special talent like for instance Michael Maze who won the bronze award at the Athens Olympics in August.

by Soeren Revsbaek
and Per B. Christensen