Financial help and social consideration must go hand in hand
The Municipality of Odense wants to ensure equal access for all children to public school communities—partly through dedicated school funds(puljepenge), and partly by fostering a "step-up-and-help culture" (træde-til-kultur). The school bears a significant responsibility to act, even though it cannot solve the problems of poverty on its own, explains councilman for Children and Youth Brian Dybro (Socialist People's Party / SF).
What role do you have as a municipality – and especially in the school area – in mitigating the consequences of child poverty?
– Growing up in poverty has long-lasting consequences far into adulthood – both in terms of education and jobs. School life is a veryimportant part of the lives of children and young people, and as a public school we have a great responsibility to ensure that all children become part of both the academic and the social community. It is particularly here that we, as a municipality, can and must strive to make a difference.
Why have you chosen to provide all public schools in the municipality with a dedicated pool of funding to promote equal access to school communities?
– Even though education itself is free of charge, we know that expenses quickly arise which families with fewer ressources struggle to meet. This could be a lack of basic equipment like a bicycle for class trips, contributions to class events, or fees for the youth clubs's (ungdomsskolen) summer camp. In the end, this may end up excluding some children from participating. Our approach has been to distribute the money directly to the schools without heavy, central reporting requirements. It is the staff who are close to the families in everyday life who know, which families need a financial helping hand.
You also encourage both your employees and parents to show a greater shared responsibility to include everyone. Why is it necessary?
– We know that no one wants charities. Truly, people prefer being able to make it on their own. What we call the "step-up culture" is about being attentive to everyone in the community and strengthening the social mindfulness that can make a huge difference in everyday life - and doing so in ways that do not expose or single anyone out. For example, it may be by not proposing parent-arranged activities with a high cost. My clear impression is that the staff and school leaders at the schools are really good at handling this with great discretion.
Why are you asking individual schools to find their own solutions rather than setting clearer frameworks politically?
– We must always be cautious about implementing rules and guidelines from the top down. There needs to be room for flexibility locally – especially because schools experience these challenges very differently. There are also limits to how much we, as a city council, can regulate what parents arrange privately and in their spare time. Therefore, engaging in dialogue is a much wiser path. It is also about creating local ownership, so that attention to the financial barriers does not disappear when the funding ends. We need to build an approach where people naturally remember that there are parents in the class who simply cannot afford expensive activities for their children.
Do you risk placing the responsibility for mitigating the consequences of child poverty on the individual school, teacher or parent group – rather than solving it with national policy reforms?
– We are well aware that our initiatives will not eliminate social inequality in childhood; that largely requires a comprehensive national effort across multiple areas. But as a municipality, we cannot just sit back and do nothing. We cannot let children be left out of the daily school community by claiming it is a national task. After all, the children bear no blame whatsoever for their situation.
What is your ambition for the public school in Odense when it comes to equal access for everyone to the school's communities?
– We must have a school system where all students – regardless of their background and their parents' financial circumstances – can participate fully in the social and academic communities without worries. There simply must not be children who grow up feeling embarrassed about not being able to participate in a birthday or a trip.
What have you learned from the experience so far that other municipalities could learn from?
– First and foremost, the importance of giving schools local room for flexibility and combining financial instruments with efforts toward a lasting cultural change. Furthermore, you must not treat the initiative as a one-time tool. Getting everyone involved in the school's communities is something that requires persistent attention.
Fact box: The Municipality of Odense’s initiatives against financial barriers in public schools
In 2025, the previous city council adopted a comprehensive package of initiatives that in the period 2025-28 will address the consequences of child poverty in the municipality. The package is based on selected recommendations from a panel of experts and citizens.
Two of the initiatives are aimed directly at reducing the consequences of social inequality in everyday school life.
1. The financial school pool/fund: "Free school for financially vulnerable children"
The purpose of the pool is to strengthen the opportunities for public chools to minimise financial barriers and ensure that all children can participate in the school's communities on equal terms. e fund amounts to approximately DKK 7.7 million over four years. Resources are distributed among the municipal schools based on a socio-economic allocation key, corresponding to an annual amount between DKK 16,650 and DKK 138,000 per school.
The fund is administered by school management. At many schools, decisions on how the funds are spent locally are made in collaboration with the school board. Examples of use in practice are:
Bicycle banks: Several schools have purchased bicycles and helmets for shared use, so that students without their own bicycles can learn to ride a bike and participate on an equal footing in bike rides.
School equipment: Purchase of calculator kits, sports clothes, hiking bags, pencil cases and rulers, so that a lack of basic supplies does not exclude anyone.
Support: Direct coverage of individual students' expenses for e.g. excursions, class events or participation in the youth club’s summer camp.
Free school events: Events that previously required payment have been held free of charge for everyone to strengthen the fee-free public school.
2. The Campaign for a "Step-Up Culture" (træde-til-kultur)
The aim is to foster a culture in which everyone in the immediate community surrounding the children—parents, staff, management, and school boards—shares collective responsibility for supporting one another and reducing the hidden, informal costs that increase the consequences of social inequality.
A budget of DKK 300,000 has been allocated to develop materials and run campaign activities across the city and on social media. The Children and Youth Committee has issued an official pastoral letter (hyrdebrev) to management and parent boards in schools and daycare centres, calling for local dialogue and the adoption of at least three concrete local initiatives that can make a real difference.
Among the ideas for an everyday "step-up culture" are:
Establishing local swap stations at the school or daycare centre where parents can donate and pick up second-hand clothing, shoes, games, or sports equipment in good condition.
Signing all children's names on birthday cards and inviting classmates broadly, ensuring no child is excluded due to the cost of buying gifts.
Organising carpooling and filling empty car seats when driving children to extracurricular activities, birthday parties, or class gatherings.
Not suggesting parent-arranged activities with high self-payment and informing about any expenses in good time.
To invite an extra child if you have a free space in the car for trips and experiences.