An Expat’s Guide to Living in Denmark: Choosing a Danish vs an International School

As August comes around so does the first day of school. If you are an expat parent, you may be faced with the choice of where to send your child to school. Whether it be a local, Danish school or international school, you as a parent need to decide what is best for your child and what will benefit him/her in the future. No pressure! 🙂 Here are my thoughts for choosing a Danish vs an International School!

Thoughts and worries before moving to Denmark

I know that as a former educator and mother of a child who started school in the United States before we moved to Denmark, I may have looked at education in a different light than an average parent. I was very determined to find a perfect school for my child in Denmark that would offer the same type of education as we would have found in the US. The only issue with that was that I had no idea what options I had in Denmark.

If you are like I was, you might be feeling a bit stressed about making the same decision. Luckily for you, I can share my experience as a parent and teacher with you, which hopefully will help you when making your own decision. At the end of the day, though, it is your decision to make.

Here’s my journey of weighing the pros and cons in a variety of different ways. 

Choosing a Danish vs International School

When we moved to Denmark, it was during the spring before my son would start grade zero. (In the US, we would call grade zero “kindergarten”.) This meant that we had enough time to get an idea of which type of education that would best benefit our son in the long run.

There were two different public schools in our town, and the obvious choice would be to send our son to the closest one. It was what all the other parents did in the town, and if we were going to raise our children as Danes, it would make sense to throw them in this very foreign, educational institution and hope for the best. When in Denmark, do the as the Danes do…right?

However, there was also an international school close by that would continue my son’s (English) education that he had started the year before in the US. This seemed very appealing to me as a mother and as a teacher. I wanted him to maintain what he had learned, and we wanted him to improve. The thought of him losing what he had learned with regards to reading and writing in English was a bit too terrifying for me to accept. This made us consider putting him in an international school.

Feeling the Weight of This Decision

We moved to Denmark to make a life change, so the possibility of our son living in Denmark for all of his school years was very likely. Picking the right school for him was going to be a big decision for us. We had already moved from one country to another, and I didn’t want my son to feel sad about having to switch schools and say “good-bye” to friends AGAIN. Whatever decision we made would need to be final. 

Location Concerns

We began to weigh the pros and cons of the Danish school vs the international school with regards to location. In addition to that, we were concerned about our son making new friends in this new town and country.

We knew that if he went to an international school, it might be easier for him to speak his own language and meet other children who were also coming from other countries. Having these things in common would make the switch from the USA to Denmark a little bit easier. 

However, the international school would be in another town. This meant that there would be travel involved in order for him not only to get to school but also for him to be social with his classmates who were more likely to live in this other town.

Going to another town to socialize and to go to school would make it difficult for him to make friends in our own town and even in our own neighborhood. We didn’t want our son to feel like a stranger in his hometown. He would probably make friends in his sport or scout group, but we didn’t see those relationships becoming the long-lasting friendships we hoped he would create as a child.

A way of solving this could be just moving to the bigger town, but there were other concerns to consider.

If are moving or recently have moved to Denmark, here is a post of my best tips for integrating and getting comfortable in Denmark.

Social Concerns

Moving to another country meant making new connections, and as a parent, I felt more concerned that my son wouldn’t make strong connections with other children if he went to an international school. He might only be limited to forming friendships with just those kids in his class, and if Denmark was going to be our forever home, I just didn’t feel that having such a small, social circle would be enough.

Yet, I knew that making friends in an international school might have been easier. In these types of schools, there tends to be many students who are used to being the new kid, and the teachers would also be more aware of new students coming all the time. An environment like this would help kids bond if they all knew how it felt to be “the new kid”.

Still… Would this be enough to benefit my child socially?

Language Concerns

When we moved to our small, Danish town, my son couldn’t speak Danish. This, again, was another issue to think about when choosing the best school for him. We knew that the few months that he spent in daycare (børnehave) was not enough to teach him 6 years of Danish like the other students in his class.

Though he went to a fully “Danish” daycare and was beginning to speak and understand more Danish, I was still worried that it wouldn’t be enough for him to succeed in an all-Danish, school setting.

I was concerned that he would be left behind in his learning, and it would be too difficult for me, a poor-Danish speaker, to help him.

On the other hand, the international school would be taught in his native English, and he wouldn’t need to have to adapt to the new language just yet. This put me more at ease, since I didn’t want him to feel completely overwhelmed at being in a new school and a new country. My son would get to take Danish in the international school, so he would get to learn it eventually.

Education Structure in Denmark

I have to say that being a teacher didn’t make it any easier. Also, I got a job at the international school that we were considering and started to get to know the teachers there. I saw how fantastic the program would be for my son in grade 0, and I knew that he would do very well there.

The pace and expectations were very similar to what my son was used to in the US. I thought that this would feel very familiar to him. He would get homework every week, and the coursework would keep him on track with what his peers were doing in the USA.

Check out my video series on Danish versus American Schools on my YouTube Channel (Part 1) (Part 2).

The program at the Danish school was much more relaxed and went much slower. There would be very little work done outside of school, and grade 0 even had a day and a half out of the week that would be spent completely in the forest.

The two schools couldn’t have been more different, but I still wasn’t sure which to choose.

Looking to the Future

As a teacher in Denmark, I also learned more about what happens at the end of the folkeskole (elementary) years. All students are required to take tests during the end of their 9th-grade year, and this also means that even the students in the international schools would be required to take the Danish tests.

The results of these tests will determine whether or not my son will be recommended to attend a regular high school (gymnasium) or perhaps a technical school. These tests could shape his entire future career path. Having a strong education in Danish would be very important for him later down the line, so this decision was important for my son’s future as well.

Though international high schools (gymnasium) exist in Denmark, they are normally only for those wanting to go on to the university. What comes next? An international university? Does this mean that my son would be limited in his university choices as well?

Danish students can go to other technical schools if they feel that university isn’t for them. However, I don’t know any that are taught in English.

It might seem a bit extreme to be considering my son’s future high school and university choices when he was only 6 years old. But it helped me to see the big picture. I knew some foreign students who weren’t ready to take the 9^th-grade Danish tests. This was because learning Danish as a foreign language in an international school is not the same as learning it as a first language in the Danish schools.

I didn’t want my son to feel that he wouldn’t get the same opportunities for higher education because of the potential lack in his Danish skills. Also, I didn’t want him to have the added stress of having to switch to an all-Danish school during high school when he might struggle to learn the language well enough to do well in his studies and get into a university.

Our Decision: Which School We Chose to Send our Kids in Denmark

After weighing all the factors and seeing how things were for foreign students in an international school, we ultimately decided to put our son in the local Danish school. We knew that the pace and expectations of his education would not be what we were used to in the US. However, we had to consider that he was learning a completely new language and then going to a school that was taught in that language.

I knew that I could always read with him in English at home to continue what he had started in the USA, but I didn’t want to overload him. He would get everything he needed in due time in Denmark.

Pros for doing what we did

I liked that there wasn’t so much pressure put on students at a very early age. Instead, there was more focus on learning through nature and imaginative play.

We wanted to build a community in our small town. The local, Danish school would be a great place for us to meet other parents as well as for our son to make life-long friends.

More of an adjustment for the parents

I think that one of the biggest concerns that I had to overcome was MY problem. It didn’t have much to do with my son. I knew that he would be fine, because he was smart and because he had active parents who would help him whenever he needed it.

Yes, there is the issue that because of my lack in Danish knowledge, that I can’t help him very much with his homework. For the most part, this isn’t an issue since they don’t typically give homework other than reading. It is also fortunate that my husband is Danish and can help when I can’t.

Though I am humbled by it, I know that it is also good for my husband to be involved. It is also a good incentive for me to improve in my Danish learning. It is just hard for a teacher NOT to teach even if it is my son (and not my students) I am hoping to help!!!!

Are you new to Denmark? Here is a post with a list of all the most important dates and events to remember!

Advice for foreigners picking a Danish vs international school

All I can offer is my story. I don’t know all the answers, nor do I know what is best for your family. If you are an expat parent going through this same decision, I completely understand your concerns. I would like to offer up some of my advice.

 1. Are you choosing Denmark for life?

If you are a family who is planning on making Denmark your home, I would recommend that you put your child in Danish school.

It is important for your child to assimilate to the culture and feel that he/she belongs here. This may mean that he/she is exposed to new cultural traditions that you are not used to.

None of what they do will hurt your child in any way, so I suggest that you encourage your child to embrace what it means to be Danish. If this is your home, your child will grow up feeling that he/she is Danish anyway.

 2. Is Denmark just a place for a short time?

If you are an expat family that knows that Denmark is just a place for a short stay, then it might be best for you to put your child in an international school. I say this because your time may be limited. It might just hurt your child to have to learn a new language just in time for you to leave again.

International schools are fantastic if you only are living in Denmark for 1-3 years. They are also great because they allow your child to adjust back to a school in their home country. It will also be nice for you to meet other parents who are international and create a little community.

 3) Do you have older children or teenagers?

If you have a child that is older, this is a bit more difficult overall. Learning Danish is difficult the older you are, so you really need to weigh the pros and cons. If your child is in 8^th or 9^th grade, it might be best to put him/her in an international school and start looking at the IB gymnasium in your area.

These are generally taught in English as well. It could take your child too long to learn the language, and that might actually hinder his/her performance in school and make life stressful for the whole family.

4) Is your child planning on going to university in your home country?

Do you feel that your child will return to your home country for university? You will want be in contact with those schools in order for your child to have taken proper action  to be able to apply. There may be some tests or certain classes that your child needs to take ahead of time in order to attend university, so being a planner can only benefit your child.

5) Are you undecided about Denmark?

If you don’t know how long you will be in Denmark, your best choice (in my opinion) is to put your child in Danish school. Think of all the benefits they can get from learning a new way of life and a new language. Why not!!!??

My Final 2 Cents about Schools in Denmark

Overall, I think that it is great that foreigners come to Denmark. We came because of my husband’s job initially, but overall, we wanted to give our family some new experiences. It wouldn’t make much sense in my mind to move to another country and not learn the language or how to be “Danish”. If I wanted everything to be the same as it was in the US, I should have just stayed there. However, I understand how stressful a new life can be. I completely understand!!

Life after making the decision of Danish vs international school

Now, I have two boys in Danish school, and they love it! My overall goal was for my children to be happy, and they are. The friendships they are making with children who live in our little town are more than I could have asked for. These friendships have helped me to make friendships with their parents and teachers, and I also feel more “Danish”. My boys participate in sports and scouts where they get to see their classmates more often. We really have created a sense of community in our new home.

One of the biggest pluses of choosing a Danish school is the language. My children are completely fluent in Danish now. They thrive as much as the other children who have lived in Denmark their entire lives. I can feel good knowing that my children will have all the options for schooling later when they go to high school and beyond because the language won’t get in their way.

When my oldest son started grade 0, the school placed him in a special class during the Danish lessons. This was a class for students who spoke another language at home. However, because of his willingness to speak Danish, he only stayed in that class for a few months before moving to the regular Danish classes. We are very proud of him and very happy with the choice we made.

Final Thoughts from One Expat Parent to Another

Integrating into a new society can be scary. However, learning the language is probably the best and easiest way you can do this. It has been over three years for us here, and I have to say that I am the slowest at learning Danish in my family. It is getting easier, but at least, I can start to focus more on my education, since I don’t have to stress over my children’s.

Are you like me and struggle with Danish? Ask your child’s school to provide a translator for you during school meetings and parent-teacher conferences. Also, don’t shy away from parent-run organizations. Don’t let the language get in your way of being active in your child’s education. You might just find that after a few years, you have even made some Danish friends of your own…but give it time! 🙂

Whatever you decide will be the best for your child!! You are ultimately the only one who can make such a big decision. I wish you luck in the process, and hope your child has a great educational experience in Denmark.

How did Denmark handle going back to school during the corona virus? Read about our experience HERE!

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