About one-third of pupils in Denmark’s new juniormesterlære scheme did not pass both Danish and mathematics at this summer’s ninth-grade leaving exams.
DR reported on September 23, 2026 that many pupils on the juniormesterlære scheme failed either Danish or mathematics at the leaving exams in the summer of 2026. According to DR, roughly every third pupil in the scheme did not pass both subjects.
Juniormesterlære allows pupils in the eighth and ninth grades to combine ordinary classroom teaching with practical training. That can include a work placement at a company. The scheme was agreed in March 2024 and started in the 2025/26 school year.
For ordinary public school pupils, about one in ten leaves the ninth grade without passing both Danish and mathematics, DR reports. The broadcaster notes one caveat. The juniormesterlære figures are based on a smaller dataset than the numbers for ordinary ninth-grade classes.
The business organization Dansk Industri calls the share concerning. Mikkel Haarder, deputy director for research and education, says the ambition of the scheme is for pupils to pass. As stated by Haarder, these young people need support in Danish and mathematics to build the academic foundation for further education in Denmark, work and a good life.
Researcher says it is too early to judge
Andreas Rasch-Christensen, head of research at VIA University College, told DR that it is too early to evaluate the scheme. He points out that juniormesterlære is only in its second school year. In his view, it cannot yet be concluded that the arrangement is not working as intended.
Rasch-Christensen adds that attention should be on whether more academically challenged pupils pass the leaving exams. That, he says, is the measure to watch as the scheme develops.
Marlene Holm from Faxe Ladeplads, whose son Frederik is enrolled in the scheme, tells DR that the figures matter little to her. She says she is not concerned about whether Frederik receives a grade of 2 or 7. If he contributes what he can, that is good enough, per Holm.
Holm also expects that many pupils on the scheme will fail. She says they do not have the same opportunities as pupils in an ordinary ninth grade. She hopes pupils in juniormesterlære will not face identical requirements at the leaving exams.
Frederik is in the ninth grade and has not yet sat the leaving exam, according to DR. He combines classroom teaching with practical training alongside other older pupils. His mother says he is doing well in the arrangement.
DR states that it was not possible to obtain an interview with Minister for Education Magnus Heunicke of the Social Democrats.
