The Tingbjerg (or Tnambia as it is pronounced) neighborhood in Copenhagen has been described as a tough ghetto neighborhood. The Tingbjerg Skole primary school, located in the middle of the residential area, suffered from poor living conditions, declining student standards, and low enrollment in secondary education. However, in recent years the neighborhood has improved by all standards.
This is a success story that could serve as a model for the rest of the country, according to Jakob Neisger, Mayor for Children and Youth in Copenhagen.
Denmark leads the nation in terms of student enrollment in secondary schools.
Recently, new figures show that almost all students continue their secondary education after finishing school in Tingbjerg. Five years ago, only about two-thirds of students entered secondary school, with the rate being just 62.8%. Now, a report from the Copenhagen municipality shows that 97% of students started youth education (secondary level) within 15 months of leaving the ninth grade in the 2020/2021 school year. Thus, the surprise lies not only in the great development, but also in the superiority at the national level in all of Denmark, which is 95%.
“We dreamed of reaching the national average, regardless of the students” socioeconomic background, and now our success is a dream come true,” commented school principal Marco Anders Damgaard on the new figures, according to TV2.
From the margins of society to school desks
It wasn't long ago that "hard-hit neighborhoods," crime, and the problems facing the next generation of children in residential areas rose to the top of politicians' and media agendas. For example, in 2018, the Berlingske newspaper reported that only 181 TP3T students at the Tingbjerg school were assessed as ready for education in the Copenhagen municipality's quality report.
But those days, the days of the “hard ghetto” are now over, and the Tingbjerg residential area no longer appears on the list of slum “ghettos” or, by the alternative name, “parallel communities”.
Both grades and well-being among students have increased, according to a report from Berlingske last year.
Ultimately, this means more of our students end up in positive communities so they can continue their lives well. In the past – if we're being honest – there may have been some who ended up on the margins of society in negative communities, according to the headmaster, who also explained that all staff members "worked hard" to give students the skills, courage, and desire to continue their education beyond primary school, i.e., after the ninth grade. He also mentioned that some of the teaching staff were replaced under his supervision because some teachers were frequently absent and others weren't good enough. He hired teachers with high and positive expectations for the children, saying: "The most important thing is to convince everyone that the children can succeed, so that the right belief and the right expectations are created for the children.".
Special resources from the Ministry for Tingbjerg School
The Ministry of Education had previously implemented special supervision of Tingbjerg School due to poor results in relation to student well-being and grades, but that chapter has now been closed. However, the school is still receiving additional funds due to past challenges, and the headteacher hopes this will continue for some time in the future. The funds have been allocated to teachers and additional teachers to work on regular language stimulation for the children and to restructure the school day so that daily breaks are filled with adult-supervised activities.
A portion of the additional funds for the Tingbjerg school also goes to youth education guidance counselors, who are called UU guidance counselors.
One of them is Jeppe Johansen, who comes to Tingbjerg School about three days a week, giving presentations to classes and having one-on-one conversations with students in the eighth and ninth grades. He commented, “There are many students who have expectations or dreams of becoming doctors, engineers, or lawyers. I say that sounds good and excellent, because it’s wonderful to have ambitions and dreams. But let’s take it one step at a time. What is the first step after the ninth grade?” Jeppe Johansen often emphasizes to the students that it is okay to have some fears or hesitations, to make new choices, and that there are many other programs besides the most popular ones. The educational advisor also explained that he collaborates with teachers on how to help students together make a realistic and informed choice about their education after the ninth grade. In addition, he participates in discussions between the school and home, so that the parents of eighth and ninth grade students are also involved in the students’ deliberations about their choice of education.
Back in the Tingbjerg district, the mayor hopes that the school students' advancement in the education system can help in the long run to uplift the entire residential area, as education can lead to job opportunities and greater financial space for the individual, and at the same time there can be new role models for younger school pupils.
