Students in Denmark protest benefit cuts — Al Jazeera
In Copenhagen, Denmark, up to 13,000 students, according to organizers, marched from City Hall Square to parliament, protesting government plans to cut student benefits. The action, under the slogan “Enough,” was directed against changes the authorities are proposing to free up funds for defense spending, Al Jazeera reports.
Changes to the benefits system
Since 1970, pupils and students in Denmark aged 18 and older have automatically received state support regardless of their parents’ income. Currently, those living with their parents receive 1,154 Danish kroner per month, while students living separately receive 7,426 kroner.
Under the government proposal, benefits would be abolished for students whose parents earn more than 700,000 Danish kroner per year. Under the same proposal, only students from families with annual incomes between 419,589 and 700,000 kroner would be entitled to support, and the amount would depend on parental income.
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Strikes and student reaction
Student associations said that about 40,000 pupils and students at 57 educational institutions in Denmark went on strike because of the proposed changes. During the demonstration, participants chanted slogans about broken promises and carried placards in defense of the SU system, Denmark’s student support scheme.
Oscar Tonsberg Hoffmann, president of the Association of Danish Upper Secondary School Students, said Denmark takes pride in its financial support for education and that dismantling one of the world’s strongest education systems would be a mistake. The Ministry of Higher Education said that about 14,000 students are expected to lose benefits, while the amount will be reduced for another approximately 8,000.
The government also proposes paying unemployment benefits to recent university graduates only if they worked for at least 18 of the final 24 months of their studies. Industry Minister and leader of the Social Liberal Party Martin Lidegaard called the cuts unpleasant decisions.
