Danish students furious at university budget cut proposals

“Four hours of lectures a week is not quality education. It’s an insult “, says Nils Wiese, vice president of the Danish national student union. On Tuesday, October 6, thousands of students gather in the cities of Copenhagen, Aarhus, Viborg, Odense og Sønderborg, to protest against budget cuts in Danish schools and higher education institutions.

DSF, the national union of students in Denmark, and several other organisations have started the campaign “Out of the crisis – into the future”. The organisers believe that the Danish government’s proposed budget cuts for schools and universities is counterproductive if the county wants to get out of the economic crisis.
“There is a severe contrast between what the Danish government says and what it does. The universities have never had more tasks than now, and at the same time there are almost 1000 euros less per student than 15 years ago. It is beyond what is acceptable, and that is why we expect tens of thousands in the streets on Tuesday”, says Wiese.

At several of the human sciences faculties, students have to make do with four hours of lectures every week. DSF are afraid that this will affect the academic value of the education, but they also fears other long-term effects.

“This means that students will be less attached to their studies, and there is a risk that more students will drop out. This contrasts starkly with the aim of giving more young people education. This policy of budget cuts will hit back like a boomerang”, says Nils Wiese.