Thirteen-year-old Magnus has not attended school once this academic year. He represents just one of many students missing education due to school refusal in Silkeborg.
Parents are demanding political action to help struggling children. The issue has become central in the municipal election campaign.
Marianne Ivarsen, mother to 13-year-old Magnus, describes the emotional toll. Her son has ADHD and autism and has faced school challenges for years.
It's both heartbreaking and exhausting as a parent when your child isn't thriving, she said.
The school refusal crisis will heavily influence her vote in the November municipal election.
We need to recognize that traditional public schooling doesn't work for all children, Ivarsen stated.
Mayor Helle Gade acknowledges Silkeborg faces growing pains with school refusal. She emphasizes this is a nationwide problem affecting many Danish municipalities.
These are complex issues, Gade said. We're launching new cross-disciplinary cooperation involving parents, schools, staff, and political levels to take children's struggles seriously.
If re-elected, Gade promises more investment in preventive measures for children aged 0-16.
I'm putting my hand on the stove and sticking it in a hornet's nest by saying this, but if I lack courage to invest in our children, I shouldn't have this role, she declared.
When asked why action hasn't happened sooner, Gade cited the need for political majority support.
Søren Wenzel Nielsen, a teacher running for city council with the Radikale Venstre party, has made school refusal his signature issue.
We're seeing children falling through the cracks, Nielsen said. The current council hasn't done enough for these children or invested sufficiently in needed solutions.
He notes 470 parents in Silkeborg currently receive wage compensation from the municipality, with numbers rising.
Nielsen believes new investments could eventually help more parents return to the workforce, offsetting municipal costs.
Marianne Ivarsen represents one such parent. She has received lost earnings compensation for 13 years while caring for Magnus.
Instead of attending his special needs class, Magnus now spends most days in his bedroom at their Silkeborg home.
Ivarsen has taken matters into her own hands, creating a network of over 30 families with school-refusing children across Central Jutland.
Children meet weekly in Herning facilities where they can socialize in safe environments outside the school system.
Nielsen hopes Silkeborg will support similar local initiatives after the election.
The solution involves municipal support for programs where children, parents, and civil society meet for community activities, outdoor experiences, and culture outside school systems, he explained.
Mayor Gade hasn't ruled out supporting such initiatives.
We already have some programs in Silkeborg, but I'm open to examining whether we need this specific unique offering when the new council term begins, Gade said.
Political promises during election season often face implementation challenges afterward. The growing number of families affected suggests current systems are failing to meet children's diverse educational needs.