Højbjerg, Denmark, November 2009

After many years at different international schools, Emmanuelle and Lars Pedersen felt it was time for their children to have an educational base. The family moved to Aarhus six months ago, and as other international parents, they have put a lot of time and consideration into integration and finding the right school for their children.

The interior in the home in Højbjerg, south of Aarhus, reflects the families many international experiences. Even the family cat and dog are from Cambodia.

Along with their two children, Coco (12) and Sven (14), Emmanuelle and her husband Lars moved to Aarhus in the summer 2009. Before moving to Denmark, Lars’ job in the UN has given the family of four the experience of living in Austria, Cambodia, and Thailand.

The family has enjoyed their international life, but with both children soon in their teens, Emmanuelle and Lars decided it was time for the children go to school in a country, where they later could go to university. Lars’ job requires him to spend long periods in Asia, and by moving the family to Denmark, this means time away from the family. However, Emmanuelle and Lars decided moving to Denmark was the right thing to do.

“We want our kids to be in a school system, where they learn the language, where they adapt to the culture and where they can study the next ten years. This is the reason why we are here in Denmark,” Emmanuel explains. 

Choosing the right school
Moving to Denmark and Aarhus meant returning to Lars’ native country and region. Emmanuelle is French, but as Lars, she moved from her home country many years ago.

After moving to Aarhus, Emmanuelle and Lars started looking for a school for their children. With Aarhus’ 53 municipal schools and a range of private schools, including an international school, it was a challenging decision. 

 “We had lots of discussions, and in the end, we ended up with this school, which is just 400 meters down the road. The reason why we chose this school is that it is a nice area, but mainly the decision was based on listening to other people’s advices and visiting different schools,” Lars remembers.

The fact that the school is close to their new home is not merely a coincidence. In many ways choosing a school was also about deciding on where to live.

In Aarhus, each municipal school has its own school district and primarilyadmits children living in that district. Parents can apply for their children to go to another school than their district school, but approval is not guaranteed. Among others, admission requires room at the desired school.

The Danish approach to learning
While considering various school alternatives, Emmanuelle and Lars did question if moving to Denmark had been the right decision. Until recently, they worried that the Danish approach to education is to relaxed and slow. 

“We went through a critical time, where we thought that the education system in Denmark was an inferior system. The idea of moving to Denmark and giving the children some roots and so forth was good, but it should not be on the expense of their education,” Lars explains. 

However, after learning about the philosophy behind the Danish approach to education and that in the end a Danish education is just as good as in other countries, their worries were put to rest. 

“You understand that it is about the joy of learning in Denmark. This is a good idea. It is no pressure; it is about the joy and the group,” Emmanuelle adds.  

The reception class
Now, Lars and Emmanuelle are waiting to experience the school in action. 

“Coco and Sven’s first language is English. They do not speak Danish and for that reason, they had to go to reception class,” Emmanuelle explains. 

In Aarhus, children who do not speak Danish are enrolled into reception classes upon arrival. The objective of these classes is to give children a linguistic base before joining a municipal school class. However, Lars and Emmanuelle question if reception class is the most effective way for their children to learn Danish and integrate.  

“In addition to being fluent in English, Coco and Sven are fluent in German and French, so they have the flexibility required to learn a new language and culture. If they were admitted into Danish municipal school class, they would easily adapt to the new culture and language”, Emmanuelle says, and Lars continues, “we have seen in the international school system that pupils who are admitted without speaking English are integrated three months later. In Denmark the system is less effective - also, because the pupils do not speak Danish among themselves”.

To help the children’s integration process and their Danish proficiency Emmanuelle and Lars have enrolled Coco and Sven into a sports club.

“We went with Sven yesterday and it was a fantastic experience,” Emmanuelle says enthusiastically, an enthusiasm her husband shares.

“The club has many arrangements, which are not just sports, so you can say there is definitely some kind of integration going on,” Lars concludes.