Danes study less, and spend less time in class

Danish students spend a sedate 34 hours a week on their studies, and have fewer teaching hours than their European peers

by Afton Halloran

While the Portuguese, Italian and German students hover above their text books trying to absorb ever bit of information, Danish students are slacking off. This is according to a report by Eurostudent.eu cited in Danish daily MetroXpress.

For example, the average bachelor’s student in Portugal spends 41 hours per week on their studies, while here in Denmark they spend only 34 hours per week.

More teaching hours

Especially those who study humanities and social science in Denmark make do with less teaching hours than students from other European countries, the study shows.

According to science minister Charlotte Sahl-Madsen, this is not good enough.

»Therefore we have decided to raise the government grant going to humanities and social science in 2009. It is my clear expectation that this will translate into increased teaching hours,« she comments.

Deep cuts to funding

But the Science Minister will have to look hard for more teaching hours in humanities and social sciences, according to Magnus Pedersen, president of the Danish National Students Union.

»The government is raising the amount of money allocated to students with one hand, but is cutting deep into the university budgets with the other hand. It doesn’t work,« he adds.

It appears that the university budgets will be cut from DKK 24.3 billion in 2012 to DKK 23.4 billion in 2014.

Individual annual allocations for full time students will also be cut from DKK 74,000 to DKK 66,900 in 2014.

See the full Eurostudent report here

afton.halloran@adm.ku.dk

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