Territorial Review Copenhagen - Region Hovedstaden

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Box 2.2. Copenhagen Model for Integration: Immigrants and the
schooling system
The aim of the Copenhagen Model for Integration is to create a more even
distribution of bilingual students across Copenhagen schools. The programme
followed two surveys regarding the position of parents of bilingual children,
which showed that immigrant parents had positive attitudes towards enrolling
their children in schools with only a small percentage of immigrant children,
whereas native Danish parents were hesitant about enrolment of their children in
schools that were dominated by immigrant children. The programme contains
two main elements. First, it offers immigrant students from certain school
districts the possibility of enrolment in schools with predominantly native
Danish students. Second, it aims to make schools with a high percentage of
immigrant students more attractive to native Danish parents and students. The
Copenhagen Model for Integration is carried out by the Children and Youth
Administration of the City of Copenhagen.
The programme started in 2006, when 85 immigrant children from districts
with large concentrations of ethnic minorities (Tingbjerg, Voldparken, Indre
Nørrebro) began their schooling in districts where only a small percentage of the
students are immigrants (Brønshøj-Husum, Østerbro). The programme has been
extended since, and other districts are now included. From the school year
2008/2009, 13 schools in Østerbro, Vanløse, Brønshøj, Nørrebro and Amager
will be part of the initiative to reserve seats for bilingual students from other
districts. Ten schools in Valby, Nord Vest and Amager are involved in the
initiative to keep native Danish children in schools with a large share of
immigrants. (Source: www.tosprogede.kk.dk). Since 2004, there has been an
increase of 185 bilingual pupils in kindergarten and first grade. At the ten
schools mentioned, the total share of bilingual pupils has risen from 494 to
1 102, an increase of 608 bilingual pupils.
Lackluster scores on the OECD/PISA Study in 2000 and 2004 initiated
an OECD Review of Compulsory Education recommending that student
assessment be enhanced, school management strengthened and teacher
training become more specialised (OECD, 2004). It was determined that
more frequent systematic evaluation of student achievement would help to
identify learning problems at an early stage, and that encouraging teachers to
specialise would help raise their professional competences and benefit
subjects like science. In spring 2008, an agreement was reached between
City of Copenhagen, the University of Copenhagen and University Colleges
Denmark in the Capital Region about the creation of three special flagship
schools for Copenhagen. On 1 August, 2009, on a DKK 3.5 million budget,
the three special schools will open, including a language school, natural
science school and a musical-creative school staffed by specialists, with the