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Minister asks retired teachers to help out with Ukrainians

Christian Wenande
March 28th, 2022


This article is more than 2 years old.

News comes in the wake of the government expecting over 100,000 refugees, including many children, to come to the country

At a press conference on Friday, the government announced it now expects over 100,000 Ukrainians to arrive in Denmark – well above the previously anticipated figure of 20,000.

And as many are expected to be children, the Danish school system can expect a significant influx of new students across the country. 

The education minister, Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil, said the majority of the kids will initially be placed in introductory classes at schools, and she called on retired teachers to lend a hand.

“We encourage retired teachers and teacher students to help as much as possible in their local communities,” said Rosenkrantz-Theil.

The minister also urged individuals with a pedagogic background to assist – including part-timer workers going full-time.

READ ALSO: How the war could affect the Danish economy

Over 24,000 already
Previously, when it assessed that around 20,000 refugees would come to Denmark, the government calculated that the expense of taking in the refugees would land at around 2 billion kroner in 2022 and 2023. 

But it has yet to unveil by how much that figure would increase should 100,000 refugees arrive. 

According to the immigration minister, Mattias Tesfaye, over 24,000 Ukrainian refugees – half of whom are children – have made an appointment with citizen services (Borgerservice) to gain residence permits. 

In comparison, Denmark received around 20,000 Syrian refugees in connection with the 2015 Refugee Crisis. 

Some 3.6 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded the country about a month ago. 


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A survey carried out by Megafon for TV2 has found that 71 percent of parents have handed over children to daycare in spite of them being sick.

Moreover, 21 percent of those surveyed admitted to medicating their kids with paracetamol, such as Panodil, before sending them to school.

The FOLA parents’ organisation is shocked by the findings.

“I think it is absolutely crazy. It simply cannot be that a child goes to school sick and plays with lots of other children. Then we are faced with the fact that they will infect the whole institution,” said FOLA chair Signe Nielsen.

Pill pushers
At the Børnehuset daycare institution in Silkeborg a meeting was called where parents were implored not to bring their sick children to school.

At Børnehuset there are fears that parents prefer to pack their kids off with a pill without informing teachers.

“We occasionally have children who that they have had a pill for breakfast,” said headteacher Susanne Bødker. “You might think that it is a Panodil more than a vitamin pill, if it is a child who has just been sick, for example.”

Parents sick and tired
Parents, when confronted, often cite pressure at work as a reason for not being able to stay at home with their children.

Many declare that they simply cannot take another day off, as they are afraid of being fired.

Allan Randrup Thomsen, a professor of virology at KU, has heavily criticised the parents’ actions, describing the current situation as a “vicious circle”.

“It promotes the spread of viruses, and it adds momentum to a cycle where parents are pressured by high levels of sick-leave. If they then choose to send the children to daycare while they are still recovering, they keep the epidemic going in daycares, and this in turn puts a greater burden on the parents.”