Criticisable of municipality that young people at residential institution did not get the schooling they are entitled to

Publiceret 09-10-2026

In the autumn of 2025, the Ombudsman carried out a monitoring visit to Egely at ‘Socialcenter Lillebælt’, which is a secure residential institution in Middelfart Municipality for young people. During the monitoring visit, the young people told the Ombudsman’s visiting team that they were not offered schooling. According to management at the institution, the schooling had been reduced due to a shortage of teachers.

Pupils in a special education programme such as Egely have the same right to receive schooling as pupils in primary and lower secondary school generally have. Middelfart Kommune must enter into a quality agreement with the institution and monitor whether the schooling is of the necessary quality and complies with the requirements under the Folkeskole Act (the Act on the Danish Municipal Primary and Lower Secondary School). 

Middelfart Municipality informed the Ombudsman that it had not been aware that there had been a shortage of teachers and schooling at Egely. The Municipality also could not account for which period there had been a shortage of teachers – or what schooling there had been during that period.

However, on the basis of the monitoring visit and his investigation, the Ombudsman gathers that, at least for a prolonged period during the summer and autumn of 2025, the young people at Egely had not received the schooling that they were entitled to. And that the municipality’s monitoring etc. had not been sufficient in order to observe its obligations in relation to the young people receiving schooling in accordance with the rules of the Folkeskole Act with respect to quality and extent.

The Ombudsman finds this criticisable.

‘As a society, we must support young people placed in care in the best possible way in order for them to get a good foothold in life. Therefore, it is also important that the municipalities live up to their responsibility for the young people getting the schooling they are entitled to. Failing to do so is not an expression of support and help – it is in fact the opposite’, says Parliamentary Ombudsman Christian Britten Lundblad.

The Ombudsman involved the National Agency for Education and Quality in the case. The Agency has now started monitoring that Middelfart Municipality ensures that the schooling at Egely complies with the requirements and is of the necessary quality.

The Ombudsman has asked the Agency to inform him of what the monitoring of the Municipality leads to.

Read the Ombudsman’s letter to Middelfart Municipality (in Danish).

 

Further details:

Director of International Relations Klavs Kinnerup Hede,

kkh@ombudsmanden.dk

Facts

Egely at ‘Socialcenter Lillebælt’ is a secure residential institution with a special secure unit for children and young people aged 12-17 who are characterised by having difficulties such as disruptive and criminal behaviour, substance abuse problems and mental health issues.

As a children’s and young people’s home, Egely has an approved special education programme where the young people receive schooling. 

According to Section 40(1) of the Folkeskole Act, the municipal council is responsible for ensuring that every child of compulsory school age residing in the municipality is enrolled in the Folkeskole or receives schooling that meets the standards of what is normally required in the Folkeskole. 

The municipal council of the municipality where a children’s and young people’s home with a special education programme is situated must enter into a quality agreement on special education with the programme; cf. Section 22 b of the Folkeskole Act. The purpose of the quality agreement is to ensure the quality of the special education.

Pursuant to Section 26 of the Executive Order on Special Education (Executive Order No. 1646 of 12 December 2023), the municipal council must monitor that a special education programme at a children’s and young people’s home, with which the municipality has entered into a quality agreement, is of the necessary quality according to the quality agreement and Section 22 b of the Folkeskole Act and complies with the requirements of the Folkeskole Act.