Provision of educational and vocational guidance for pupils and students in the education system and for young people outside education and employment is given high priority in Denmark.  In April 2003, the Danish parliament adopted a new act on guidance (eng.uvm.dk/guidance/guidance.doc), as a result of which a comprehensive restructuring of guidance services in the educational system was initiated. The Danish Government wishes to make it easier for citizens to make realistic decisions about learning opportunities and careers - for the individual’s own sake and for the good of society as a whole. The Danish guidance reform should be seen in this perspective.

The new guidance system became operational 1 August 2004. The Ministry of Education has been responsible for the implementation of the Danish guidance reform, and it has a controlling and coordinating role in relation to the new guidance system.

This publication gives an overview of the key elements of the reform and the new Danish guidance system in the educational sector. The reform is primarily concerned with guidance services for young people. The main providers of guidance services for adults are the public employment services and the municipalities but these services are not covered by the reform and, therefore, they are not described
in this booklet.

An online version of the present publication is available at: http://pub.uvm.dk/2004/guidance/

Guidance and Education in Denmark

For additional information on guidance and education in Denmark, you can find a range of pdf files, websites and links here.

Map of the Danish education and guidance system