And it is not surprising news in a country where the entire concept of a welfare society is under pressure. Social benefits have been cut. Longer work hours are a reality. Students have to attend school for a longer period every day which have led to the question whether the children belongs to their parents or the state.
There is not very much family time left over to socialize and have the surplus to take a foreigner from a perhaps less developed culture and integrate this individual into the family dynamics.
And as a host family it is important to know if the surplus exists. Otherwise the exchange student experience will not satisfactory for both the exchange student and the host family. Then it is better to avoid taking the task as a host family.
Whether the reduction of the number of exchange students as result of fewer exchange students will result a loss for the various communities is doubtful. Because the presence of a foreigner who is forbidden to socialize fully with the Danish students in the Friday bars on the high school campuses as result of their signature on a contract can create an artificial student environment where the mood among the students might not be as happy as if there hadn’t been exchange students present.
So the news that fewer families want to be host families is not bad. Maybe it could create a better student body on the long run.
Source:
Udvekslingsstuderende er ikke et hit (Denmarks Radio)