Sofie and Signe are dyslexic and fear they won't be able to get on the train if the government implements new fare rules.

Something needs to be done about vocational high schools if more young people are to choose a vocational education.

And the government is now taking action with a new initiative and 'a historically large economic injection,' which will be used to abolish hf and replace it with a new vocational education called epx, which is intended to be vocationally and professionally oriented.

> "I'm thinking about how it might be harder for me to get in, because I'm dyslexic and I've already struggled with some things, so I might be a little worried."

> Sofie Grønkjær Balling, student at Vester Mariendal School in Aalborg

The new education will have lower admission requirements compared to other vocational schools.

And this raises concerns for Sofie Grønkjær Balling. She is 14 years old and in the 8th grade at Vester Mariendal School in Aalborg. And soon she will have to choose which youth education she will attend.

- "I had thought I would take the traditional route and go to high school."

But she fears that the government's plans to tighten admission requirements for stx will put a damper on her dreams.

> "I think epx is a good opportunity - especially for people who don't excel academically or have struggled with the subject matter."

> Dicte Dam Dalager, student at Vester Mariendal School in Aalborg

- "It's a bit frustrating that it has to be changed. I'm dyslexic and I might have a harder time getting in, because I've already had trouble with some things, so I might be a little concerned."

Her classmate Signe Bjerg Sørensen is also dyslexic. She also fears that she won't be able to get into stx, which she otherwise wants to do.

- "I think it's not fair if now a high school education, which people want to have, becomes harder to get into than epx."

Dicte Dam Dalager, Alberthe Slotø Poulsen, Sophie Grønkjær Balling, and Signe Bjerg Sørensen all go to the 8th grade at Vester Mariendal School in Aalborg. (Photo: © Josefine Sønderup Rasmussen, DR Nórdjylland)

Signe Bjerg Sørensen doesn't know what she wants to train for when she grows up. And that's one of the reasons she wants to go to stx.

- "It seems like a vocationally oriented youth education is more for those who already know what they want to bake after. But I don't know what I want yet."

But if you ask her classmate Dicte Dam Dalager, she thinks the new epx vocational education is a good idea.

- "I think epx is a good opportunity - especially for people who don't excel academically or have struggled with the subject matter, so they also have some opportunities."

And Dicte Dam Dalager is not dismissive of the idea of choosing the new education herself if the opportunity arises.

- "You don't have to go the same way as everyone else. And if there are higher requirements for stx, it just means you have to work harder to get in and strive for it."

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’It's nice that people on epx are given a chance in terms of grades’

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Despite some of the students expressing critical views on the government's new proposal, classmate Mohammad Ali Hassan welcomes the new youth education:

- "It seems like a good idea that there are more options, so you have more to choose from."

But even though he himself enjoys practical tasks, he has his eyes on the htx vocational education when he is finished with primary school:

- It opens many doors, because it aligns with a commercial education, but you also get other qualifications.

Mohammad Ali Hassan (to the right) and Ask Hytten (to the left) both attend Vester Mariendal School in Aalborg. They both want to continue their education in htx when they finish primary school. (Photo: © Josefine Sønderup Rasmussen, DR Nórdjylland)

Likewise, his friend and schoolmate Ask Hytten dreams of getting into htx. Because his older brother has told him many good things about it, he says.

However, he also thinks a new youth education is a good idea. And with lower grade requirements than the other vocational schools, more people will have the opportunity to attend, he says:

- "It's nice that people on epx are given a chance in terms of grades, and maybe it will also give some people more motivation to attend the education."

On the other hand, it will be harder to get into the classical vocational schools.

But that's how it is, according to Ask Hytten:

- "So you'll just have to work harder to get in and strive for it."

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The government's initiative

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The new vocational education epx is intended to take three years and have lower grade requirements than other vocational schools.

Young people will be able to attend the education from 2030, where the government sets aside two billion kroner annually.

This corresponds to about 10% of the current expenditures on youth education.

As a starting point, the new education will only give access to short- and medium-length further education, but children and education minister Mattias Tesfaye (S) will create a selection package for those who want to pursue a university education.

In the initiative, the government will also tighten the admission requirements for the other three-year vocational schools.

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