About the Mother Tongue School
In most municipalities in Denmark, mother tongue education is only offered if the language is spoken in an EU country, but the City of Copenhagen offers mother tongue education in all languages for children living in the municipality, if there are enough students for one or more classes.
All classes in EU and EØS languages are free of charge. However, in Copenhagen municipality, non-EU languages are only free of charge through grades 0-5, while there is a fee of app. 2.000kr. per year as from grade 6 through grade 9.
Definition of “mother tongue”
In Copenhagen municipality, we define mother tongue as the language the child speaks with at least one of the parents – and the mother tongue language has to be actively spoken and used at home. It is not the nationality of the parents that matters, but the actual language which is used as a mother tongue language at home.
Our classes
Most of our classes take place shortly after the child finished the official school hours. We try, as far as possible, to place the mother tongue class at the child’s own school or in the local area, which however strongly depends on the number of enrollments and home addresses of the other attendees.
All classes, except a few, run for 2,5 hours including break time. Our teachers are fully aware of the fact that most children are tired after a long school day and that the mother tongue classes therefore have to be motivational and adapted to the reality of the child.
We have classes in 36 different languages – in most classes the teachers have to differentiate a lot, since the age span can range widely. We try however to divide the classes into age groups, if this is possible due to the number of children.
Classes 2023/2024
Objectives
We follow the national, governmental guidelines regarding mother tongue education. Please visit: https://emu.dk/grundskole/modersmaalsundervisning/faghaefte-faelles-maal-laeseplan-og-vejledning
Enrollment procedures
If you wish to enroll your child, and you and the children live municipality of Copenhagen, please contact our secretary at mms@kk.dk.
If you are a citizen of another municipality than Copenhagen, the municipality of your child’s residence has to accept paying the full fee before enrollment. Contact your home municipality before you contact Modersmålsskolen.
Opening of classes in new languages
A Class requires 12 children who can meet the same day (weekday), the same place (primary school in Copenhagen municipality) and the same time. For the children to join the Class, the language must be spoken actively in the home, if not by the child, then by the parents.
All children must live in the municipality of Copenhagen and all children must have started in 0. th grade (children in kindergarten and nursery are not covered by the offer).
Classes in new languages does not start up in the middle of a school year, they start up, in the beginning of a new school year and it is a prerequisite that we can find a qualified teacher to teach the class.