Schools give both criticism and praise to *Lilleskolen*.

The proposal by the Social Democrats to reduce class sizes to 14 students in primary school grades 0 through 3 has sparked joy among many school leaders and teachers across Denmark, but it has also raised concerns.

In the proposal presented on Wednesday afternoon, the party suggests spending five billion Danish kroner to create smaller classes in the early grades of primary school.

They plan to establish a "small school" system for kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders, where classes will be smaller than they are today. The decision has been made to cap classes at 14 students—half the current maximum class size in larger classes. This way, smaller classes can be merged into larger ones later in the school years without major disruptions.

"We consider the small school system the natural next step for primary education in Denmark. It fundamentally aims to ensure a safer start to school," says Education Minister Mathias Tesfaye.

**Smaller classes = more calm**

If the proposal becomes reality, it could help create much-needed calm in the smaller classes, says Karsten Lynge Simonsen, chairman of the Aalborg Teachers' Association.

"It’s been many years since students had to sit on a chair and read from books. Today, we have much more active teaching methods, so it will create less chaos, more teaching, and thus also greater well-being. I feel quite confident about that," he says.

He is supported by Mogens Brag, principal at Strandby School.

"It will give more time per child, and that will mean there’s more calm in the classroom. This creates better conditions for focusing on what the students need to learn," he says.

Lars Holmboe, chairman of the Vejle Teachers' Circle and a member of the executive board of the Danish Teachers' Association, believes that fewer students in early grades could help attract teachers who have had enough of large, unruly classes back to primary school.

"I believe that a primary school with early grades capped at 14 students per class could attract many of the teacher-trained professionals who today do something else," he says.

Nohr Salminen from Vamdrup doesn’t want to miss out on any of his current 21 classmates in 2nd Grade A at Vamdrup School.

At Vamdrup School, west of Kolding, Nohr Salminen, a student in 2nd Grade A, is skeptical about the proposal for smaller classes.

"Today, there are 21 of us in my class, and 14 sounds a bit lonely. I have many friends I can be with now," he says.

Pernille Møller has children in 1st and 3rd Grade at the school and is cautiously optimistic.

"I think it’s a good idea, but why exactly 14? Why not 16 or 18 students? It’s about children’s relationships in their local area and at school. Children need peers to relate to, and classes can become too small if, for example, there are only a few boys in a class," she says.

**Schools lack space for smaller classes**

While the Social Democrats' proposal is received positively at schools, several school principals are concerned about how to accommodate more classes with fewer students.

At Lindbjergskolen in Herning, principal Erik Søgaard does not believe there is enough space.

"We typically have four classes per grade, and that’s what the school was built for. If we’re to reduce class sizes to 14 students, we’d need four additional classes per grade to implement it strictly. It’s clear that won’t be possible," he says.

Pernille Reschat, principal at Hærvejsskolen in Rødekro, shares the same concern.

"For us, it would mean needing two more classrooms per grade. That would require rapid construction," she says.

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