Thousands of Danish students to protest in Copenhagen against plan to cut education grants

Thousands of higher-secondary students in Denmark have announced a demonstration at Copenhagen's City Hall Square on Wednesday afternoon in protest against the government's plan to scrap the SU, or education grant, given to students.

The Danish upper-secondary students' organisation, Danske Gymnasieelevers Sammenslutning, has called the protest for 12:30 pm on Wednesday against the government plan. More than ten thousand students have announced they will take part. With this, an anti-government student movement is set to begin in Denmark as well, as in various European countries including France and Italy.

The government has brought these new proposals mainly to arrange additional money for Denmark's defence sector.

Under the government's proposal, students who live with their parents and whose parents' combined annual income is more than 710,077 Danish kroner will no longer be eligible for the SU education grant. In addition, for students whose parents' combined annual income is between 419,589 and 710,077 kroner, the government plans to gradually reduce the amount of the grant.

In a press release, the students' organisation said around 10,000 students would gather at City Hall Square (Rådhuspladsen) at 12:30 pm on Wednesday. They will then march to the square in front of Christiansborg Palace (Christiansborg Slotsplads).

In addition, around 30,000 higher-secondary students from 40 schools across Denmark boycotted classes on the same day to join the protest, the organisation said.

The government has made another proposal in the new state budget. Under it, those who have recently completed their studies or a degree will have to have worked for at least 18 months within the last 24 months of their studies to qualify for the graduate unemployment benefit.

At present, a student who has been registered as a member of an unemployment fund (a-kasse) for at least 12 months before finishing their studies becomes eligible for this graduate benefit, subject to certain conditions. The amount of this benefit is somewhat lower than the regular unemployment benefit.

If the new proposal takes effect, students who did not hold a regular study-related job or did not work a significant amount of time in the last two years of their studies may lose the opportunity to receive this special unemployment benefit immediately after completing their degree.

Oscar Tonsberg Hoffmann, president of the Danish upper-secondary students' organisation, told the media that the money needed for Denmark's defence sector can be raised through various other initiatives.

He said that when the government deliberately decides to take money out of the pockets of young people who are trying to get an education, it is hard to see it as anything other than a hostile attitude towards education.

Hoffmann also said the students' organisation has tried to contact the government to discuss these proposals, but no response has been received from the government so far.