School leadership
2.1. Leadership standards and roles
2.2. Selection and working conditions
2.3. Leadership preparation and training
3. Teachers, parents and students
3.1. School management committees and boards
4.1. Autonomy of school leaders
4.2. Assessment and accountability of school leaders
4.3. Teacher assessment by school leaders
1. Terminology
The 2021 Public Schools Act (Folkeskoleloven) and the 2021 Free School Act (Friskoleloven) use the term “head of the school” in their different sections. For instance, the term is used in Section 45 of the 2021 Public Schools Act (Folkeskoleloven), which outlines the role and responsibilities of the head of a school. The 2021 Free School Act (Friskoleloven) also uses the term “supervisor”. The 2022 Act on Upper Secondary Education uses the term “head of the institution”.
2. School principals
2.1. Leadership standards and roles
Competency standards and leadership frameworks and guidelines
The National Dialogue Forum for School Management, consisting of representatives from the ministry, the Local Government Denmark (KL), the Association of Children and Culture Heads (Børne- og Kulturchefforeningen), and the School Leaders Association (Skolelederforeningen), has developed seven management fields as part of the competence development of school management and administration. These fields encompass the management of the open school; professional and interprofessional work; capacity and competence development; learning environments; strategy and change processes; well-being, motivation and commitment; and knowledge- and results-based development of the school's teaching.
Specific duties and responsibilities of school heads are also provided in the 2021 Free School Act (Friskoleloven), 2021 Public Schools Act (Folkeskoleloven), 2023 Act on Admission to the Upper Secondary Schools, and 2022 Act on Upper Secondary Education.
Roles
Setting expectations/objectives: The 2021 Free School Act (Friskoleloven) provides school heads with the primary responsibility of overseeing and setting the objectives of the daily educational management of schools.
Developing teaching and learning: According to Section 2 of the 2021 Public Schools Act (Folkeskoleloven), the onus of ensuring the quality of education aligned with the primary objectives of the individual school, as well as the structuring of educational programs, squarely rests upon the appointed head of the school. The overarching legislative framework and resolutions from the municipal board and school board guide this responsibility. According to Section 45 of the Act, the school head must propose the school's curriculum and principles for its activities. Furthermore, according to Section 56 of the Act, schools are required to include information about students' well-being in their teaching environment assessments. Annually, the school's head is responsible for conducting a well-being assessment to monitor and enhance students' well-being. However, individual student responses can only be used for statistical and scientific studies. This assessment must employ a tool provided by the Norwegian Agency for IT and Learning.
According to Section 6 of the 2021 Free School Act (Friskoleloven), it is incumbent upon the school head to oversee the attendance of students mandated to partake in classes.
According to the 2023 Act on Admission to the Upper Secondary Schools, the school head is responsible for setting up a visitation committee to assess the eligibility criteria for applicants with special education needed for upper secondary education.
Promoting collaboration: According to Section 45 of the 2021 Public Schools Act (Folkeskoleloven), collaboration with school employees is essential for the school head, and they must involve students in matters related to their safety and health. If there is a student council in the school, the school head should discuss the form of student involvement through this council.
According to Section 59 of the 2022 Act on Upper Secondary Education, it is mandated that the head of the institution is responsible for formulating well-being guidelines. Additionally, on an annual basis, the head of the institution is obligated to assess the well-being of the students, excluding those enrolled in individual subjects. The primary objective of this assessment is to monitor and enhance the student's overall well-being. Notably, individual student responses may solely be employed to conduct statistical and scientific investigations into students' well-being.
Supporting staff development: Capacity and competence development is recognized as one of the seven management fields. However, the field does not explicitly reference the key practices of school principals that relate to monitoring teachers' professional development needs and providing individualized professional support and mentoring opportunities for teachers.
Acting in accordance with the ethical principles of the profession: Following the provisions delineated in Section 1 of the 2021 Free School Act (Friskoleloven), it is incumbent upon the school head to act honestly and transparently in fostering an environment where students are encouraged to opt for a specific democratic approach to form a student council that aligns with the core values and principles upheld by the school.
Others: According to Section 45 of the 2021 Public Schools Act (Folkeskoleloven), the school head is in charge of the administrative aspects of the school, including managing staff and making decisions about students. These decisions must align with the goals and guidelines set by the municipal council (/the municipal board) or the school board. Furthermore, the school head has the duty to propose a budget to the school board within the financial limits established by the municipal council and provide the school board with schedules for teaching and potential schedule changes for the upcoming school year.
According to the 2022 Act on Upper Secondary Education, the school head is responsible for completing legal admission requirements (Sections 9 and 10) and conducting assessments for students' admission to the 2-year education for the general matriculation examination and to high school single-subject education (Section 16 and 17).
2.2. Selection and working conditions
Degree requirements and prior teaching experience
There are no formal education demands for the school heads in the 2021 Public Schools Act (Folkeskoleloven) and the 2021 Free School Act (Friskoleloven). However, according to the 2022 Joint Eurydice-OECD data collection on salaries of teachers and school heads, at ISCED 02 level (lower secondary level), it is general practice that school heads have a bachelor's degree in social education. At ISCED 1 and 24 levels, school heads have often completed a teacher education programme and worked as a teacher previously. At ISCED 34 level (upper secondary level), school heads are required to have a master’s degree.
Supervisors are mandated to possess certification following the provisions outlined in the 2021 Free School Act (Friskoleloven). To attain such certification, supervisors are required to possess professional and pedagogical qualifications of a calibre that enables them to oversee educational instruction at the primary school level effectively. Furthermore, they are required to demonstrate proficiency in both written and spoken Danish unless the supervision activities are conducted within the context of German minority schools or at schools that have received approval for an alternative language of instruction other than Danish.
Regarding teaching requirements, the 2021 Public Schools Act (Folkeskoleloven) does not expressly stipulate teaching as an inherent obligation of the school head. Nevertheless, according to Section 9 of the Act, the school head can provide instruction to students with specific learning requirements during their 8th and 9th-grade education.
Appointment decision
According to the 2021 Public Schools Act (Folkeskoleloven), the school board is responsible for appointing the school head. This was based on the 2019 Parliamentary Agreement, which obliged municipalities to have at least one representative from the school board on the hiring committee. Furthermore, the agreement also implied that a representative from the school board in the concrete employment process must have the competence to represent the entire school board.
Following the stipulations outlined in Section 9(b) of the 2021 Free School Act (Friskoleloven), the selection of a supervisor is entrusted to the parents, with a tenure limit of up to two years. Nevertheless, an alternative provision allows the parents' association to choose a different action. Specifically, they may submit a formal request to the municipal council within the school district to undertake the appointment of supervisor(s) on their behalf.
Employment equity measures
The 2021 Public Schools Act (Folkeskoleloven) and the 2021 Free School Act (Friskoleloven) do not address the under-representation of minority groups in school leadership positions.
However, in research positions, the 2000 Gender Equality Act aims to promote equality between women and men through equal participation, equal influence and equal opportunities in all functions of society. All public institutions at all levels are required by law to report on their gender equality initiatives every three years to the Department of Gender Equality. According to legislation, gender equality must be reflected by no less than a 60/40 divide between men and women. All state companies and state institutions are also required to report: (1) the gender composition in the highest management body (the board) and all employee categories; (2) whether the institution has set specific targets for the underrepresented sex on their boards and other collective management bodies; and (3) other conditions that may affect the institution’s gender equality initiatives.
The board of any institution primarily funded by the state is required to report target numbers for gender equality. In addition, the central management body of any institution with more than 50 employees must develop a policy for gender-balanced representation in cases where the management of the institution does not have a gender-balanced composition.
Working conditions
The 2021 Free School Act (Friskoleloven), notably, does not provide explicit delineation regarding the contractual arrangements and salary structure applicable to school heads. However, as per the provisions outlined in Section 7 of the Act, it is specified that the terms governing salaries and employment conditions are to conform to the agreements and directives established by the Minister for Taxation. These encompass remuneration considerations and pension provisions for school heads, teachers, and kindergarten class leaders. Additionally, the Act includes provisions for allocating grants designated to cover expenses related to medical education, teachers' participation in courses, and ongoing training initiatives. Furthermore, specific grants are extended to primary school associations to facilitate collaborative supervision efforts. These financial disbursements and regulations are administered within the framework of the Finance Act.
Working conditions of teachers and school heads are regulated in collective agreements between the local government (KL) and the Confederation of Teacher Unions (LC). At the upper secondary level, according to the 2019 Collective Agreement ("Chefaftalen" modst nr. 045-19), it is mandated that school heads no longer receive a fixed statutory salary. Instead, they are required to engage in negotiations with the school board to determine a comprehensive compensation package, which includes various allowances.
Furthermore, according to the 2021 Circular on Collective Agreement for Academics in the State,
school heads can be employed having public servant status, on limited tenure, or on contract. School head salary consists of a basic salary, functional pay, performance-related pay and payment by results. School heads are dismissed according to 2017 Consolidation Act on the Legal Relationship between Employers and Salaried Employees.
The 2021 Collective Agreement for Pedagogues determines contractual arrangements and salary structure for pedagogues. According to the agreement, they are entitled to receive allowances related to participation in school and other management activities. For instance, at primary and lower secondary levels, the teacher who takes the deputy function at schools where no deputy is employed is granted a DKK 15 400 supplement. Guiding newly appointed teachers in the context of their pedagogical education (pædagogikum) entails a compensation of DKK 21,900. In cases where multiple teachers collectively serve as guidance counsellors, this amount is equitably distributed among them.
2.3. Leadership preparation and training
Pre-service training
The 2021 Public Schools Act (Folkeskoleloven) and the 2021 Free School Act (Friskoleloven) do not address pre-service training for school heads. However, despite the absence of formal regulations, a leadership training course is usually required.
Induction and in-service training
The 2021 Public Schools Act (Folkeskoleloven) and the 2021 Free School Act (Friskoleloven) do not address in-service training for school heads.
However, the 2021 Public Schools Act (Folkeskoleloven) provides teacher training. Additionally, it provides pedagogue training to conduct preschool classes and cooperates with a qualified school teacher to carry out specific teaching activities in grades 1 to 3.
3. Teachers, parents and students
3.1. School management committees and boards
Section 42 of the 2021 Public Schools Act (Folkeskoleloven) outlines the composition of a school board (decided by the municipal board), which is established at each school. The composition includes:
- a majority of parent representatives are chosen from among parents with children enrolled in the school. If the school has multiple departments, there must be at least one parent representative for each department. If multiple schools share a common school head and board, each participating school should have at least one parent representative. If the school has special classes in at least three grade levels, there must be at least one parent representative for the special classes. Additionally, if the school offers an after-school program for children who are not yet eligible for primary school, at least one parent representative must be elected from among the parents of these children. The school board's chairman is appointed from among the parent representatives. A parent representative loses his eligibility when the child is admitted to a free primary school, in a municipal international primary school, in a state school, in a European school, or who receives home education;
- at least two teaching staff representatives and other employees are chosen among the school's employees;
- at least two student representatives are chosen from among the students at the school. Similar to parent representatives, if the school has multiple departments or shares leadership and a board with other schools, there should be at least one student representative for each department or participating school. In circumstances involving schools or specific departments limited to and inclusive of the 5th grade, the municipal board retains the authority, at the behest of the school board, to exercise discretion and deviate from the stipulation about student representation within the school board;
- the municipal board may decide that up to two places on the school board must be allocated to local business community representatives, local youth education institutions or local associations;
- the term of office for parent representatives is set at four years, while for the other members, it is limited to one year. It is imperative to note that individuals employed at the school are ineligible to serve as parent-elected members of the school board.
The school board operates under the framework established by the municipal board in Section 40 of the 2021 Public Schools Act (Folkeskoleloven) and the following roles of the school boards are outlined in Section 44 of the Act:
- when hiring the school's head, the school board selects a representative from its members to participate in the hiring decision and provides an opinion on the employment of other managers, teachers, and pedagogues;
- the school board also approves the school's budget, rules of order, and values;
- the school board establishes teaching organisation principles and work distribution among teaching staff;
- the school board approves teaching materials, prepares curriculum proposals (to be submitted to the municipal board) and submits opinions on experimental and development work. Additionally, it determines whether the school should engage in activities beyond standard curriculum requirements and sets principles for such activities;
- the school board decides on the establishment of meal plans and sets principles for food schemes;
- the school board calls parents to annual meetings to discuss school activities, including reviewing the annual report;
- the school board also issues statements and proposals on relevant matters and ensures transparency through agenda preparation, meeting minutes, and annual reports, all subject to legislative confidentiality rules.
According to the 2017 Note on Delegation, the municipal board can delegate powers to the school board to determine and publish goals and content descriptions of the school leisure programs.
The 2021 Free School Act (Friskoleloven) explicitly specifies individuals who are ineligible for school board membership, which includes the following categories:
- individuals who lease properties to the school;
- members of the governing boards of foundations, companies, associations, or other entities that lease properties to the school or exercise control over the lessors of school properties;
- legal professionals, accountants, or consultants acting for foundations, companies, associations, or other entities;
- high-ranking employees within foundations, companies, associations, or other entities;
- members serving on the board of another school of the same educational type.
The above-mentioned criteria are designed to maintain integrity and prevent conflicts of interest within the school's governance structure. According to Section 5 of the 2021 Free School Act (Friskoleloven), the school board is responsible for the school's overall management. Board members at schools are required to sign a declaration of compliance, which must be published on the school's website.
3.2. Middle leaders
Apart from their roles as members of the school board, the 2021 Public Schools Act (Folkeskoleloven) does not explicitly delineate other leadership responsibilities for teachers.
According to the 2022 Service Act (Section 52) and the 2020 Day Care Services Act (Section 4), support pedagogues can carry out educational support measures and other special support functions in daycare institutions, clubs, schools and after-school programs.
3.3. Parents
The 2021 Public Schools Act (Folkeskoleloven) does not make specific reference to parent-teacher associations. However, it uses the term “parent board” without delineating any explicit compositions or assigning defined roles to this board. At the primary education level, Section 24 of the Act stipulates the establishment of a joint board following consultations with both the school board and the parent board. Within the composition of the joint board, representation must be provided for the following categories: parents of children enrolled in primary school; parents of children attending daycare or after-school care; employees of the primary school; employees of the daycare or after-school care facility; students selected from among the primary school student body.
Furthermore, the Act affords numerous rights to parents, enabling them to consult with the school principal and the school board to deliberate and make informed decisions about the selection of schools and educational courses, the training of students, and the evaluation of students' progress. For instance, according to Section 3 of the Act, parents possess the prerogative to request the assessment of their child for dyslexia on a single occasion within the academic year during the child's 4th-grade enrollment.
Similarly, the 2021 Free School Act (Friskoleloven) does not make specific reference to parent-teacher associations. However, it uses the term “parents’ association”. The parents' association, in collaboration with the school board, is responsible for ensuring: the appointment of one or more supervisors to oversee students' progress in the subjects of Danish, mathematics, English, and history; the alignment of the school's educational offerings, based on a comprehensive evaluation, with the prevailing standards expected in primary education; the management and oversight of financial contributions and donations made to the school.
According to the 2019 Act on Education for Young People with Special Needs, parents are actively engaged in many consultations conducted by the municipal board. These consultations pertain to matters related to educational content and instructional hours.
Parents also sit on governance bodies that allow them to participate in national education policy development. According to Section 57(a) of the 2021 Public Schools Act (Folkeskoleloven), the Council for Children's Education, appointed by the Minister for Children and Education, consists of 18 members, in addition to the 5-7 experts specialising in early childhood education and daycare. Parents and the Parents National Association are designated as 2 of the contributing 18 members of this council.
3.4. Students
Section 46 of the 2021 Public Schools Act (Folkeskoleloven) establishes that students are entitled to establish a student council at schools encompassing grades five and above. The student council is entrusted with the responsibility of designating student representatives to committees established by the head of the school, which are specifically convened to address matters of significance pertaining to the general student body. It is important to note, however, that this provision does not extend to committees where the participation of students would contravene other existing legislation. Furthermore, it is specified within the Act that the Minister for Children and Education is vested with the authority to prescribe comprehensive regulations governing the electoral processes associated with student councils, delineating the functions and activities thereof, and outlining the obligations of municipal councils vis-à-vis these student councils. Moreover, in schools employing a departmental organizational structure, students enrolled in each department and possessing a 5th-grade or higher are granted the right to establish a departmental student council.
Similarly, according to Section 1 of the 2021 Free School Act (Friskoleloven), students have the right to form a student council at their discretion or to look after their common interests regarding the school through alternative democratic means.
Every enrolled student possesses the inherent right to participate in the election process for the student council. The process is conducted annually.
Analogous to parental representation, students also hold positions within governance bodies. Danish school students, the Danish Junior High School Students Network and the National Association of Youth School Leaders are designated as 3 of the contributing 18 members of the Council for Children's Education, appointed by the Minister for Children and Education (as mentioned in Section 3.3).
4. Governance
4.1. Autonomy of school leaders
According to Section 3(5) of the 2021 Public Schools Act (Folkeskoleloven), in instances where educational institutions establish collaborative partnerships with corporate entities and institutions for vocational training through contractual agreements, the school head possesses the discretion to authorise individuals not affiliated with the municipal school system to engage, to a restricted extent, in pedagogical activities encompassing primary school subjects, mandatory subjects, and supplementary educational instruction. According to Section 5 of the Act, following consultation with both a student's parents and teachers and, when appropriate, involving the youth initiative established by the municipal council, the school head is granted the authority to grant exemptions from the mandatory German or French language courses starting from the 7th grade. Such exemptions should be based on determining the student's best interest. It is imperative to note that students exempted from German or French must receive alternative and pertinent instruction during the hours allocated for those courses. Furthermore, Section 9 of the Act authorises the school head to send students in grades 6-9 as trainees in companies and institutions, following due consultation with their parents.
According to Section 6 of the 2021 Free School Act (Friskoleloven), school heads hold the authority to solicit from parents written explanations detailing the rationale behind a student's absence from said classes. In cases where the absence extends beyond two weeks due to illness, the school head may request the submission of a medical certificate. If a student fails to fulfill their educational obligations, the school head is responsible for formally communicating this discrepancy to the municipal council within the student's respective municipality of residence.
According to the 2022 Act on Upper Secondary Education, the head of the institution decides on tenders and the creation of elective courses (Section 27), ensuring the organisation of teaching (Section 35). Furthermore, according to Section 42 of the Act, the head of the institution decides to implement sanctions against students who do not follow the institution's study and order rules.
According to Section 1 of the 2021 Free School Act (Friskoleloven), after receiving approval from the Minister for Children and Education, school heads can exercise their right to conduct grade 10 examination.
According to the 2017 Note on Delegation, the municipal board can delegate powers to the school heads to decide the educational requirements for students engaged in educational institutions outside the scope of the 2021 Public Schools Act (Folkeskoleloven). This includes institutions such as notified free primary schools, municipal international primary schools, municipal special programs for primary school education catering to specific foreign children and youth, state schools, European schools, or upper secondary schools. Additionally, this delegation extends to students receiving home education or those pursuing education equivalent to public school standards beyond the 7th grade within approved post-secondary schools, independent vocational schools, or youth boarding schools.
Furthermore, according to the Note, the municipal board can delegate powers to the school head to secure the teachers' competence coverage and decide certain provisions regarding the employment of teachers and pedagogues.
4.2. Assessment and accountability of school leaders
According to Section 9 of the 2021 Free School Act (Friskoleloven), within the purview of a school inspection, the Minister for Children and Education retains the prerogative to mandate the school board members to affix their signatures to a declaration of adherence. This document is subsequently required to be made publicly accessible on the school's official website.
4.3. Teacher assessment by school leaders
The 2021 Public Schools Act (Folkeskoleloven) and the 2021 Free School Act (Friskoleloven) do not address teacher evaluation as an explicit role of the school heads.
According to the 2022 Act on Upper Secondary Education, the head of the institution designates professional competence during teacher recruitment and employment.
This profile was reviewed by Lejf Moos, Associate Professor Emeritus, with primary affiliation at the Danish School of Education.
