Status of school closures in Denmark during the pandemic
Early childhood education: Closed from March–May 2020.
Primary/elementary school: Closed from March–April 2020 and December 2020–February 2021.
Secondary school: Closed from March–May 2020 and December 2020–February 21. Adjusted operations from April–May 2021. Closed from December 2021.
Higher education (university/university college): Closed from March–July 2020 and December 2020–February 2021. Adjusted operations from April–June 2021.
By 31 January 2022, all restrictions in Denmark were lifted (Norlén, Gassen, & Randall, 2022).
Denmark and Norway implemented school closures at all levels. In Denmark, school closures or adjusted operations primarily affected older students. Denmark was one of the first countries in Europe to enforce a nationwide lockdown. The lockdown was accompanied by restrictive measures to prevent the spread of the virus. From March 2020, all schools and universities, libraries, leisure activities and day-care facilities were closed. The government also implemented the closure of all restaurants and shopping centres, a closing of the borders closure as well as a ban of gatherings of more than ten people (Norlén, Gassen, & Randall, 2022).
The second nationwide lockdown was enforced in December 2020. Once again, schools were closed, and home schooling returned. The restrictions started to be phased out in March 2021. Firstly, shops and outdoor cultural and sports activities re-opened. Some weeks later pupils were allowed to return to school for one day a week. Early in May 2021, all pupils in primary school, vocational education and graduating students in secondary school and adult education were allowed to return to school on a full-time basis.
At the same time, all sport activities for children and youth were reinstated. By late May 2021, the remaining students in secondary school and students in higher education were allowed to return to school (Helfer, Trane Ibsen, Särkiluoto, & Aapola-Kari, 2022).