Greenland Education Programme II - Naalakkersuisut/media/Nanoq/Files/Attached Files... · and the results from Nuuk Internationale Friskole – the private school in Nuuk – were

KALAALLIT NUNAANNI NAMMINERSORLUTIK OQARTUSSAT

Annual Implementation Report 2018

Greenland Education Programme II

Ministry of Education, Culture, and Church

November 2019

The European Union The Government of Greenland

i

Executive Summary

The central focal point of education policy in Greenland is the Greenland Education Programme II.

Education is a key parameter in achieving the long-term goals of the Government of Greenland,

Naalakkersuisut (hereinafter “the Government”); both in terms of providing the population with the

necessary means to take up positions as skilled labour, and further in order to secure the administrative

and institutional capacity to provide counselling and implement the administrative and practical

consequences of reforms.

The Greenland Education Programme is subject to financial cooperation through budget support, in

connection with the Greenland Decision, defining cooperation between the European Union on the one

hand, and Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark on the other. The indicative amount for the

implementation of the Greenland Decision the period of 2014 to 2020 is EUR 217.8 million. As part of this

agreement, the Government will submit an Annual Implementation Report to the European Commission

each year. The Annual Implementation Report is a tool for those responsible for the programme to

diagnose gaps, challenges, and progress as well as identify measures needed to improve progress. These

reflections and how to address challenges will then be reflected in the following Annual Work Plan. It is also

a tool for communication between the Government and the European Commission on plans, targets,

implementation, and performance of the Greenland Education Programme II.

In 2018, one of the main priorities was that the Government would continue its focus on initiatives to improve

the quality of elementary education. The elementary school system has been the object of much attention,

especially following the 2015 external evaluation “The Primary School of Greenland” and the 2016 final

evaluation of the Teacher Training Programme, summaries of which are included in Annexes 7 and 8. As both

evaluations pointed out, the political goals of lifting the quality of the elementary school system had not been

completely achieved, and further efforts were needed in order to provide children with a sound basis for lifelong

learning. Among the activities undertaken in 2018 was the work on increasing the use of IT in elementary

schools. Also, the Agency for Education has focused on improving cooperation with the municipalities as both

preschools and elementary schools remain a municipal responsibility. One of the main issues remain

recruitment and retention of personnel. Therefore, the Agency for Education has finalised a “Strategy and Action

Plan for professionals in day-care institutions” in 2018 (see Annex 11). The strategy will form the basis for future

initiatives targeting recruitment and retention of staff in preschools.

Furthermore, the Government continued its focus on accessibility to education, including a continuation of

the work on examining how distance learning can contribute to both a higher level of accessibility and a

ii

higher quality of education, especially for, but not limited to, the elementary and high school levels. The

scattered population and limited infrastructure in Greenland remains a challenge for recruting teachers for

elementary schools in settlements and for students to move to cities with youth education institutions.

Accessibility to education also covers a need for providing education opportunities for students who are

unable to follow regular in-class programmes due to a diagnosis such as autism or ADHD. In 2018, the

Government has therefore started both a trial distance learning high school programme (eGUX) and a trial

high school programme for students with a diagnosis (GUX-S).

In the Vocational Education and Training sector, the Government decided to work towards more coherence

between the education programmes offered and the needs of the labour market. In 2018, the Ministry of

Education therefore focused on developing new education programmes that fit the labour market needs, one

within technology management and two programmes targeting the fishing industry. Unfortunately, the number

of apprenticeships remain at a low level, as companies seem to remain reluctant despite improvements in the

economy. In 2018, the Ministry of Labour therefore continued to work on a bill that sets minimum requirements

for the number of apprentices a company must have based on the amount of skilled workers they employ.

In terms of higher education, the Ministry of Education presented a new Law on Higher Education at the

2018 Parliament Fall Session, which will be further discussed during Spring Session 2019. The new

legislation is, among other things, a continuation of the work towards implementing a procedure for quality

development, in order to live up to international standards. The implementation is expected to take as

much as a decade, since the process includes development of a quality culture and multiple cycles of

review to be undertaken in order to fulfil the standards of the European certification ESG-2015. The

Government also welcomed a new education programme at the University of Greenland, who is now

offering a Bachelor of Law with specific focus on the Greenlandic legal system.

Even though the education sector is experiencing an overall positive development, Greenland still faces

challenges in terms of education. A large group of children and young people still do not achieve the necessary

skills in elementary school in order to continue straight to youth education and therefore must acquire these in

other ways. In 2018, 45 % of the pupils leaving the elementary school progressed to further education within a

year, and even though there has been an increase since 2017, this rate needs to be improved further. The youth

group outside the education system is decreasing, indicating that it is becoming more and more natural for

young people to enrol in further education after completing elementary school. Meanwhile, there is still room

for significant improvement in terms of drop-out and completion rates.

iii

In light of the above, the Ministry of Education decided to start looking into possible long-term and

preferably cross-cutting solutions to address the challenges in the education sector, and in 2017 the

Government launched the preparatory work on creating a cohesive and flexible education system. The

future structure of the education system – if approved by Parliament – will consist of 12 years of

compulsory schooling, which in turn will create a natural basis for further education, both in Greenland and

abroad. In addition to a wide range of new flexible educational opportunities, it will still allow the

possibility of continuing straight to high school or vocational education after the 10th school year.

The total public expenditure for the education sector in 2018 was EUR 351.5 million, which accounts for

25.02 % of the total expenditure of the public sector. There has thus been a decline in expenditure on

education, both in relation to baseline year 2013 (25.8 %) and to 2017 (25.3 %). In 2018, the Greenland

Education Programme II included initiatives from the Education Plan II amounting to EUR 19.3 million.

Even though many of the indicators saw a positive development in 2018 and the trends in many areas seem

stable, some indicators did show a negative development. This indicates that there are still important

challenges to be solved regarding, in particular, the share of professionals in preschool and elementary

school, completion rates, and the share of young people outside the education system.

For the variable tranche indicators, EU2b, EU4, EU8 and EU13 were fully met. EU11a2 was below baseline

and was thus not achieved. The overall achievement rate for the variable tranche is 80 %, which is higher

than in 2017 (73.94 %).

No. Indicator Weight

2018 Baseline

2013 Target 2018

Result 2018

Target Achieve-

ment*

Contri- bution**

EU2b Share of professionals in elementary school 0.20 80.3 % 81.7 % 83 % 1.9286 0.2000

EU4 Transition rate to education 1 year after elementary school

0.20 35.4% 42 % 45 % 1.4545 0.2000

EU8 Number of completions 0.20 968 1000 1001 1.0312 0.2000

EU11a2 Transition rate to education 2 years after drop-out (high school to VET)

0.20 17.5 %% 22 % 16.8 % -0.1555 0.0000

EU13 Expenditure on education as percentage of total public expenditure****

0.20 25.8% 25 % 25.02 % 1.0000 0.2000

Tranche 1.00 0.8000

Notes:

* Target achievement is defined as TA = (R-B) / (T-B). ** Contribution is defined as CT = MIN(W, TA x W). *** TA is not defined as T = B. As R > B, TA is set to 1.000. **** As T < B in 2013, the baseline value is not used in the calculation of TA.

The Annual Implementation Report 2018 is an evaluation of the Annual Work Plan 2018, which was

submitted and approved in October 2018. The targets for the variable tranche indicators were originally

iv

discussed during the Policy Dialogue Meeting held in Brussels in March 2018 and agreed upon in following

consultations between the Ministry of Education and the Commission.1

Also following consultations between the Ministry of Education and the Commission, the indicator EU3 7th

grade tests has been replaced by EU2b Share of professionals in elementary school in 2018. The reason

behind the replacement was twofold. First, the Agency for Education and Greenland Statistics reported a

discrepancy between their respective results. Second, results from two larger schools were unobtainable

for 2018. The results from the school in Narsaq reportedly disappeared following administrative changes,

and the results from Nuuk Internationale Friskole – the private school in Nuuk – were destroyed following

water damage. Due to these unfortunate conditions, the data used for reporting the indicator EU3 was

rendered incomplete. The choice for a replacement indicator and target was based on the

recommendations of the External Evaluation of the Greenland Education Programme of 2017.

The target for EU2b in 2018 was set at 2017 level. The results of this indicator have seen a beginning

negative trend in recent years, but this development has been expected to happen for some time. A large

portion of the qualified teachers in Greenlandic elementary schools were educated in the 1970’s, and this

group have now reached the age of retirement (65 years). The amount of new qualified teachers declined

following the introduction of a high school programme in the late 1970’s that allowed for entrance into the

Danish higher education system, and the consequences of fewer students choosing to enrol in the teacher

training programme since then are now reflected in the amount of qualified teachers employed in

Greenlandic elementary schools. This issue is currently being addressed by means of upskilling efforts, but

it remains and will continue to remain a significant challenge in the coming years. EU3 is expected to be

featured as a variable tranche indicator again in the Annual Work Plan 2019.

EU11 Transition rate to education 2 years after dropout is composed of three levels of education (High School,

VET and Higher Education) and does therefore not provide any information that pinpoints dropout patterns on

specific levels. Furthermore, the total share of reenrolments includes a number of illogical steps, which may

cause the overall result to be inaccurate. The variable tranche indicator has therefore, in accordance with the

recommendation of the External Review of the Performance Indicators from 2018, been adjusted to pinpoint

possible problem areas more accurately and is now called EU11a2 Transition rate to education 2 years after

dropout (High school to VET). The target for this indicator in 2018 was set following consultations between the

Ministry of Education and the European Commission, and did also follow the recommendations of the review.

1 For an overview of indicators EU1-EU18, see chapter 3.1.1. For details on the targets for the variable tranche indicators see chapter 3.1.2.

v

Table of Contents

Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................................. i

Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................................... v

1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 1

2 Readers Guide ........................................................................................................................................... 5

3 Implementation Report 2017 .................................................................................................................... 6

3.1 Indicator sheet and variable tranche indicators ................................................................................ 6

3.1.1 Indicator developments ................................................................................................................ 8

3.1.2 Variable tranche indicators ......................................................................................................... 15

3.2 Inputs ............................................................................................................................................... 17

3.3 Description of planned activities and results ................................................................................... 18

3.3.1 Pre-school ................................................................................................................................... 18

3.3.2 Elementary school ....................................................................................................................... 23

3.3.3 Young people outside the education system .............................................................................. 31

3.3.4 High School ................................................................................................................................. 34

3.3.5 Vocational Education and Training ............................................................................................. 40

3.3.6 Higher Education ......................................................................................................................... 45

3.3.7 Cross-Cutting Initiatives .............................................................................................................. 50

3.4 Impacts ............................................................................................................................................. 58

Annex 1: Education budget and expenditure 2018 ................................................................................... 61

Annex 2: Education Plan II, budget 2018 ................................................................................................... 62

Annex 3: The Greenland Education Programme II ..................................................................................... 63

Annex 4: The Greenlandic Education System ............................................................................................ 67

Annex 5: Indicator Documentation Sheets ................................................................................................ 75

Annex 6: Population projections for Greenland 2018 ............................................................................... 84

Annex 7: Summary of “The Primary School of Greenland – Evaluation 2015” .......................................... 86

vi

Annex 8: Overall Recommendation and Assessment of “The Teacher Education Programme – Evaluation

of Greenland’s teacher education programme at Ilinniarfissuaq” .................................................................. 91

Annex 9: High School Reform..................................................................................................................... 99

Annex 10: Survey of the day-care sector ................................................................................................... 106

Annex 11: Strategy and Action Plan for Professionals in Day-care Institutions ........................................ 112

1

1 Introduction

Since 2006, the Greenland Education Programme has been the central focal point of education policy in

Greenland. The programme, which was adopted by the parliament, Inatsisartut, in March 2006, is

comprised of two phases: phase one (2006–2013) and phase two (2014–onwards). The programme is part

of a long-term strategy to contribute to Greenland's development into a more self-sustaining economy, in

which a well-educated and well-trained population is paramount. The Greenland Education Programme II

has been expanded to accommodate the 10-year planning horizon of the Government and will thus run

from 2014 to 2024. In the first phase of the Greenland Education Programme (2007–2013), emphasis was

put on vocational training, the acquisition of real qualifications for jobs requiring skilled persons, and real

competence courses for unskilled persons. In the second phase (2014–2024) emphasis will be on pre-school

and elementary school systems in addition to a continuation of the support for vocational education and

training, and the post-elementary school system in general.

The Greenland Education Programme II is defined by the Government’s Education Strategy and the

Education Plan II. In the Education Strategy, the Government has set overall objectives for the period as

well as targets to be achieved in 2017, 2020 and 2024. The Education Plan II contains initiatives to be

implemented in order to realise these objectives. The Education Plan II is subject to yearly updates

according to status and new developments. Updates of the Education Plan II are formalised in connection

with the Spring Session of the parliament, so that it is interlinked with the yearly adoption of the Finance

Act.

In order to measure results and outcomes, a performance assessment framework has been developed. The

performance assessment framework builds on lessons learnt under Greenland Education Programme I and

foresees modifications, where indicators have proven inexpedient and/or needed to be adjusted to suit the

objectives of phase two.

The Greenland Education Programme is receiving sector budget support based on the Greenland Decision,

defining cooperation between the European Union on the one hand, and Greenland and the Kingdom of

Denmark on the other2. The indicative amount for the implementation of the Greenland Decision for the

period of 2014 to 2020 is EUR 217.8 million. The annual disbursement contains a fixed tranche of 80 % and

a variable tranche of up to 20 %, conditional on the performance of the programme. As a part of this

agreement, the Government will submit an Annual Work Plan and an Annual Implementation Report to the

2 Council Decision 2014/137/EU of 14 March 2014

2

European Commission each year. The Annual Work Plan and the Annual Implementation Report are thus

both tools for planning and evaluation for those responsible for the programme, and are tools for

communication between the Government and the European Commission on plans, targets,

implementation, and performance of the Greenland Education Programme II. Furthermore, the Annual

Work Plan and the Annual Implementation Report are published on the Government’s website3 upon

finalisation.

The Annual Work Plan 2018 and the Annual Implementation Report 2018 contain the initiatives from the

Education Plan II that were planned to be implemented in 2018 in order to realise the objectives and

targets set by the Government in the Education Strategy. The Annual Work Plan and the Annual

Implementation Report are prepared by the Ministry of Education, who is responsible for implementation

of the Greenland Education Programme II. In the Annual Work Plan 2018, financial commitments,

initiatives, and targets of the Government’s education policy as of 2018 are accounted for using all

information available by the end of the year before (i.e. 2017), and relevant material that becomes

available during the drafting of the document.

The Annual Work Plan is evaluated in the Annual Implementation Report. The Annual Implementation

Report 2018 takes stock of all commitments, initiatives, and targets from the Annual Work Plan 2018.

Activities undertaken during 2018 that were not described in the Annual Work Plan 2018 are described as

deviations from the original plan. A subset of the indicators in the performance assessment framework has

been selected for reporting in the Annual Work Plan and the Annual Implementation Report.

The general objective of the Greenland Education Programme is to contribute to a higher standard of living

and quality of life through development of better education, technical skills, and knowledge. In order to

raise the education level of the population, the Government seeks to establish an inclusive and cohesive

education system from pre-school to higher education. The specific objectives of the programme are:

• Reducing inequality in education by ensuring a well-functioning pre-school and elementary school

system, no matter where the children live. The elementary school system shall provide elementary

school graduates with the skills needed for them to pursue further education;

• Increasing quality of the education system with special emphasis on pre-school and elementary

school and increased share of educated personnel in the system;

3 http://www.naalakkersuisut.gl

http://www.naalakkersuisut.gl/

3

• Increasing efficiency in the education system through reducing dropout between stages in the

system, increasing completion in the post-elementary education system, and decreasing the time

spent in the education system before graduation.

For 2017 and 2018, the Government decided to pursue the following three main activities and priorities in

the education sector:

Following the external evaluations of the elementary school and teacher training programme in

2015 and 2016 respectively, the Government continues to focus on improving the elementary

school system. Furthermore, the challenges in relation to dropout and completion endure. In order

to address these issues, the Ministry of Education has launched the preparatory work on creating a

cohesive and flexible education system based on 12 years of compulsory schooling. The aim of the

work is to create a sound basis for further education, both in Greenland and abroad. In addition to

a wide range of new flexible educational opportunities, the new system will still allow the

possibility of continuing straight to high school or vocational education after the 10th school year.

In order to keep up with increasing globalisation, the Government has identified a need to update

existing legislation on higher education. In 2018, a new Law on Higher Education was therefore

presented. The new legislation includes new stipulations regarding capacity, exchange studies, and

admission requirements. Furthermore, the legislation includes quality assurance, aiming at

implementing a procedure for quality development in order to fulfil the standards of the European

certification ESG-2015.

Identifying issues and implementing the best possible solutions require a sound analytical basis.

The Ministry of Education will therefore seek to intensify its efforts in relation to conducting

analyses to be used as a basis for decision making within the educational sector. This includes the

production of both small and large-scale reports as well as a sounder data readiness.

The scattered population and limited infrastructure in Greenland is a challenge for recruting

teachers for elementary schools for a longer period at settlements and for students to move to

cities with further-education institutions. Furthermore, there is a need for providing education

opportunities for students with disabilities, who are unable to follow regular in-class programmes.

Therefore the Government of Greenland seeks to have an increased focus on accessibility to

education, which includes a continuation of the work on examining how distance learning can

contribute to both a higher level of accessibility and a higher level of education, especially for, but

not limited to, the elementary and high school levels.

4

In 2017, an international expert group was appointed by the Government in order to strengthen

the quality of language training (Greenlandic, Danish and English) in elementary schools. The group

consisted of experts from Greenland, Denmark, Iceland, and Canada, it submitted its

recommendations in late 2017 and delivered a final report in 2018.4 Their findings will be

incorporated in the overall work on improving the education system.

4 An English version of the final report can be found at: https://naalakkersuisut.gl/~/media/Nanoq/Files/Publications/Uddannelse/Sprograpport%20UK%202018indd-1.pdf

5

2 Readers Guide

Chapter 3 provides the activities for the Greenland Education Programme in 2018 divided into four overall

sections that are structured according to the results chain terminology.

The first section gives an overview of all indicators and the targets and results for the variable tranche

payment of the EU support for 2018. The second section presents the overall education accounts for the

public sector and for the Greenland Education Programme. In the third section, a detailed description of

the results of planned initiatives for 2018 is given, along with the relevant indicators within each education

area. The fourth section presents the long-term educational and economic impacts of the Greenland

Education Programme. In each section, historical data and targets set by the Government in its Education

Strategy are included for each indicator. The targets are based on the Government’s Education Strategy

2014 and agreed between the Government and the European Commission in the Performance Assessment

Framework for the Greenland Education Programme II.

As a supplement to the Annual Implementation Report, the education budget and expenditure framework

2018 and the Education Plan II budget and expenditure framework 2018 are found in Annex 1 and Annex 2.

Furthermore, a description of the Greenland Education Programme II is found in Annex 3 along with an

introduction to the Greenland education system in Annex 4. A detailed description of each indicator,

presented as documentation sheets, is found in Annex 5. Population projections for Greenland are found in

Annex 6. Finally, summaries of relevant reports are found in Annex 7, Annex 8, Annex 9, Annex 10 and

Annex 11.

6

3 Implementation Report 2017

3.1 Indicator sheet and variable tranche indicators

An overview of all indicators with baseline values, results, and targets is given in the table below. Each sub-

indicator is decomposed under each education area.

Table 1: Overview of indicators

No. Indicator Education area Baseline

2013

Result

2017

Target

2018

Result

2018

Target

2020

EU1 Share of children in Pre-School Pre-School 69.1 % 74 % 76 % 77 %

EU2 Share of professionals5 Total 69.6 %6 66% 67 % 76 %

Pre-School*** - 48 % 47 % 64 %

Elementary School 80.3 % 81.7 % 81.7 % 83 % 87 %

EU3 7th grade test Elementary School 56.25 59.25 58.00 54.50 63.00

EU4 Transition rate to education 1 year

after completion Elementary School 35.4 % 40.0 % 42 % 45 % 48 %

EU5 Share of age group outside

education system 16–18 years old 61.6 % 60.1 % 57.4 % 40 %

EU6 Number of apprenticeships

Vocational

education and

training

833 779 707 960

EU7 Enrolment7 Total 3,856 3,710 3,684 3,856

High School 1,317 1,205 1,198 1,320

Vocational education

and training 1,333 1,205 1,190 1,340

Higher education 1,206 1,300 1,296 1,175

EU8 Number of completions Total 968 999 1,000 1,001 1,110

High School 357 328 304 365


and training 410 427 421 480

Higher education 201 244 276 265

EU9 Completion rate8 Total 52.25 % 51.49 % 50.69 % 60 %

High School 60.85 % 49.57 % 50.88 % 67 %


and training 48.07 % 50.76 % 50.78 % 55 %

Higher education 48.72 % 52.39 % 50.80 % 57 %

EU10 Transition rate to education 2 years

after completion High School 64.1 % 46.3 % 49.1 % 72 %

5 As results for EU3 were unobtainable for several larger schools in Greenland, it was decided to use EU2b ad a variable tranche

indicator in 2018. In 2019, EU3 will be reintroduced as a variable tranche indicator. 6 Total number based on data from 2014 for EU2a Share of professionals in pre-school and data for 2013 for EU2b Share of professionals in elementary school due to an error in EU2a 2013 data. 7 This indicator has previously been known as “Attendance”. Due to risk of misinterpretation it has been decided to rename it “Enrolment”. 8 The completion rate is a probability and will change each year as long as it covers students active in the education system. For earlier cohorts (where enrolled students in that year/cohort have all either dropped out or graduated) the rate is constant.

7

EU119 Transition rate to education 2 years

after drop-out Total 41.5 % 39.6 % 44 % 50 %

High School 57.5 % 36.9 % 52.6 %


and training 29.1 % 30.8 % 36.8 %

Higher education 47.4 % 57.4 % 44.8 %

EU12 Administrative staff completing

training*** Total - 2,466 1,500 1,261 1,500

EU13 Education as a percentage of total

expenditure Total 25.8 % 25.3 % 25% 25.02 % 25%

EU1410 Education level; share of 35 year

olds with a qualifying education ** Total 54.2 % 51.3 % 51 % 52.6 % 53 %

EU1511 Job insertion** Total 85.6 % 87.3 % 85.9 %


and training 80.8 % 83.5 % 82.4 %

Higher education 98.4 % 95.6 % 93.7 %

EU16 Percentage of trade balance in GDP

** Total -16.1% -5.3

EU17 Percentage of the fisheries sector in

total exports Total 76.4 % 95.2 % 92.4 %

EU18 Long term residents among civil

servants ** Total 87.2 % 87.6 % 93.4 %

* An error in the reported value for 2013 regarding indicator EU2a: share of professionals in pre-school has been found. For this reason, the baseline 2013 cannot be established. Instead, baseline value will be 2014. ** Data lag one year *** As registration did not take place prior to 2014 the baseline year is 2014.

9 2015 and 2016 are not directly comparable, as Statistics Greenland has revised the method of calculation. Using the new method, figures for previous years have been recalculated. 10 This number is very sensitive to migration patterns and random fluctuations. 11 Does not include students, who become self-employed.

8

3.1.1 Indicator developments

In general, the performance indicators for the programme indicate progress. However, some indicators

have shown negative developments in 2018. The development of the indicators is described below.

Indicator EU1: The share of children in pre-schools has been calculated by Statistics Greenland since 2015.

In 2018, the amount of children in the pre-school age group (0–6 years old) was 76 %, which is an

improvement since 2015, where the share was 74.8 %, and in comparison to 2017, where the share was 74

%. The share of children in pre-school already reached the 2017 target of 74 % in 2014, and although there

have been minor fluctuations, the midterm target for 2017 was achieved. In 2018, the share of children in

pre-school was 81 % in towns and 47% in settlements. The share of children in pre-school is traditionally

much higher in towns than in settlements. This is because it is more common to care for children at home

in settlements than in larger towns.

Indicator EU2: As with indicator EU1, the share of professionals in pre-schools has been calculated by

Statistics Greenland since 2015. Previously, data was collected through a questionnaire measuring the staff

in October. The indicator is now calculated as full-time equivalent staff using data from the wage-system.

This gives a break in the data series and makes it difficult to compare the share of professionals before and

after 2015, as the method of data collection varies. In 2015, the share of professionals in pre-schools was

51.4 %. In 2016, the share dropped 1.1 percentage points to 50.3 %. In 2017, this share dropped further to

48 % and was thus quite far from reaching the 2017 target of 58 %. In 2018, the share saw yet another

decrease, as the result was 47 %. In total, 896 full-time equivalent staff are employed in pre-schools as of

2018, of which 422 are qualified. Among the reasons for the challenges with retention and recruitment,

according to a recent report by Epinion,12 is that the pedagogical professionals can obtain a higher salary by

working in elementary schools or residential institutions than by taking up employment in the pre-school

institutions. Furthermore, the lack of qualified personnel itself seems to be a challenge to retention, as

understaffing can cause both emotional and physical stress. Although the Government has launched a

strategy and action plan for retention and recruitment in pre-schools, it will take some time to change the

current discourse and perception of the profession and its conditions, and subsequently for a significant

increase in the share to happen.

For the elementary schools, the share of professional teachers, which has seen a relatively steady increase

since 2013, decreased from 83.2 % in 2016 to 81.7 % in 2017. In 2018, however the share saw an increase,

as 83 % of the teachers on national level had a formal education. The share has increased in both towns

12 “Kortlægning af daginstitutionsområdet”, Epinion, December 2017. For a summary of main conclusions in English, see Annex 8.

9

and settlements. This development was not as such expected, as a steady decrease has been expected to

happen for some time. A large portion of the qualified teachers in Greenlandic elementary schools were

educated in the 1970’s, and this group have now reached the age of retirement (65 years). The amount of

new qualified teachers declined following the introduction of a high school programme in the late 1970’s

that allowed for entrance into the Danish higher education system, and the consequences of fewer

students choosing to enrol in the teacher training programme since then are now expected to be reflected

in the amount of qualified teachers employed in Greenlandic elementary schools. This issue is currently

being addressed by means of upskilling efforts, and it seems to have had a positive effect in 2018, but it

remains and will continue to remain a significant challenge for years to come. Also, there has been an

increase in the number of graduations from the Teacher Training College from 23 students in 2017 to 37

students in 2018. As a reaction to the evaluation report of the Teacher Training Programme in 201613, the

Teacher Training College decided to revise the programme, including the admission requirements (which

became stricter), in 2017. While it is necessary to maintain increasing focus on the quality of teacher

training, it is highly likely that the new admission requirements will affect the number of professional

teachers in coming years. In order to solve the issue of low admission rates without compromising on

applicant qualifications, the Ministry of Education ran a trial-based up-skilling programme in 2017 for a

selected group of applicants, who were initially not accepted to the teacher training programme due to lack

of formal qualifications such as, for instance, a low high school grade in English. These applicants were

offered the opportunity to improve their grades and subsequently enrol in the teacher training programme.

Indicator EU3: 7th grade tests have been administered since 2006 and are (apart from 3rd grade tests) the

only standardised tests in elementary schools. 7th grade tests are a pedagogical tool for the teachers, giving

them insight in the skills of each of their pupils in four of the main subjects in elementary school

(Greenlandic, Danish, English and Mathematics).14 Although a low score is never good, pupils cannot fail the

tests, and the tests are constructed in a way that makes achieving a 100 % score highly unlikely. The overall

result is used as a qualitative measure of the competences in the elementary schools, where it is possible to

compare the results from year to year. Generally, all students in 7th grade are obliged to take part in the

tests. Some students in special education are, however, exempted from participating. Furthermore, illness

on the day of the test can also prevent individual participation. The amount and variety of factors that can

have an effect on the results in 7th grade tests makes the development in the indicator very sensitive, and

as a result, it has seen some fluctuation over the years. For the same reason, and because of the way the

13 For a summary of the main conclusions, see Annex 8 14 The Agency for Education is currently examining the possibility of expanding with a fifth test in natural science.

10

test is constructed, the conditions under which it is held, and a lack of both feedback and interpretation at

school level, it is very difficult to draw sound conclusions based on the development in the results from

year to year with the amount of information currently available. Since 2016, however, the Agency for

Education has increased its focus on communicating with and collecting information from the schools

relating to both 3rd and 7th grade tests, and these efforts are expected to provide a much better basis for

analysis in time.

Between 2013 and 2015, the 7th grade test declined from baseline each year, but in 2016 the tide suddenly

turned, and in 2017 the national score reached 59.25 compared to 56.25 in the baseline year 2013. In 2018,

the overall result saw a decline and was at 54.50. In 2018, Sermersooq Municipality had the highest scores

for Danish, English, and Mathematics, but the lowest score in Greenlandic, where Qeqertalik Municipality

performed the best. The data on which this result is calculated has, however, been rendered incomplete, as

results from two larger schools were unobtainable. Furthermore, the Agency for Education and Statistics

Greenland reported a discrepancy between their respective results. These issues may have had a significant

influence on the fact that the results in all subjects declined since 2017 and that the amount of students

who took part in the tests have also decreased – especially in the municipalities of Kujalleq and

Sermersooq, where results were unobtainable.

Historically, the results in the language subjects Greenlandic and English have consistently been equal to or

above baseline year, while results for Danish and Mathematics have seen a decline. Results for Danish are,

however, consistently above 50.00, whereas results for Mathematics remain below 50.00. In 2017, 90 % of

the students took part in one or more of the tests (an increase of 5 percentage points since 2016), while 93

% of the students took part in all four tests (Greenlandic, Danish, English and Mathematics) in both 2016

and 2017. The absence rate was 15 % in 2016 and 10 % in 2017.

Indicator EU4: From 2013 to 2015 the transition rate to education 1 year after completion increased by 5.6

percentage points, but in 2016 it suddenly decreased by 3 percentage points. In 2017, although the overall

rate for transition rate to education 1 year after completion did not reach the target (42 %), it had

improved by 2 percentage points, and it seems that the positive trend has returned, as the result for 2018

has reached 45 %. There is no apparent explanation for the drop in 2016, and it is thus – for the time being

– perceived as a fluke.

The transition rate in Kujalleq Municipality has decreased by almost 3.7 percentage points between 2017

and 2018. As the amount of graduates is relatively unchanged, one possible reason for the decline might be

that the Municipality ran a trial teacher exchange programme between elementary schools and high

11

schools in 2017 as a response to the grade average of elementary school graduates in 2016 being very low.

This might both have influenced the amount of applicants, who met the admission requirements, but it

might also have created a more natural flow between the local elementary schools and the high school. The

programme was unfortunately discontinued in 2018 due to exchange only happening one-way, but the high

school and elementary school are currently conducting an evaluation, which will feed into an adjustment of

the initiative. The transition rate in Avannaata Municipality decreased by 3.1 percentage points between

2017 and 2018, and the decline may be attributed to the Municipal divide, as students from Avannaata

Municipality now do not have a high school in their own municipality and must therefore move to another

municipality (Qeqertalik) in order to attend high school.

In the other three municipalities, transition rates increased. Qeqqata Municipality saw an especially large

improvement (18.8 percentage points between 2017 and 2018), which indicate that they have been able to

turn the tide since 2017, which saw a decrease in the performance. The main improvement occurred in the

high school sector. One possible reason behind this development is increased cooperation between the

elementary school and high school in Sisimiut. The schools have started a series of collaboratory project

weeks, where teachers and students from both schools take part in the same classes. This creates a natural

flow from elementary education to high school, as the students are introduced to the high school much

earlier than what is normally the case. This development, and the development in Kujalleq in 2017,

supports the idea of creating a flexible and cohesive education system, as it seems that facilitating better

connections between elementary and youth education can lead to better transition rates.

Indicator EU5: The share of 16–18-year-olds outside the education system has overall had a positive

development since 2013, as more young people continue into continuation schools and youth education.

However, the share outside the education system remains too high. In 2018, the share of 16–18-year olds

outside the education system was 57.4 % and has therefore decreased somewhat since 2017, where the

share was 60.1 %. In addition, the number of active students has decreased slightly from 3,710 in 2017 to

3,684 in 2018. Demographic changes might contribute to these developments, as the Greenlandic

population is – and has been – decreasing steadily for a number of years. As the total number of

attendances at VET decreased, the share of young people in high school increased. Furthermore, higher

education is generally increasing, and it seems like the students get younger and younger upon starting

their education. This is potentially a result of the transition guidance made by the Majoriaq centres, as they

report an increase in the number of applications from where transition guidance has taken place. Overall,

the share of young people outside the education system has continually decreased from 61.6 % in 2013 to

57.4 % in 2018, as has the amount in absolute numbers, which has gone from 1,655 in 2013 to 1,346 in

12

2018. The share of males in the age group outside education is continuously slightly higher than the female

share, but has also decreased between 2017 and 2018.

Indicator EU6: The number of apprenticeships was below baseline 2013 (833) by 126 apprenticeships in

2018 (707). This is a regrettable tendency. Apprenticeships are not required for students in tourism and

maritime programmes, and although not all students at, for instance, the Food College (INUILI) are able to

find apprenticeships, the greatest problem remains within the building sector. Even though the import,

which is an indicator for the activity level in the building sector, has risen in recent years, the number of

apprenticeships has consistently been below baseline level. The “Study of dropout and completion at

Vocational Education and Training programmes in Greenland” confirms, that the decline of GDP and drop in

production in construction and civil engineering in recent years have caused problems for businesses, as

they cannot guarantee a full-length apprenticeship due to uncertainty on future activities. This uncertainty

is still present, even though the activity in the sector is increasing. A legal reform, aiming at turning this

negative trend, is currently being drafted by the Ministry of Labour. Also, the work on creating a cohesive

and flexible education system aims at solving this issue on a long term basis.

Furthermore, in order to qualify for having apprentices, companies must have a certain amount of

employees, who are able to train and supervise apprentices. Between 2012 and 2017, the average amount

of apprentices per 100 qualified supervising employees (the apprentice quota) declined from 15 to 11,

indicating that the decline in apprenticeships was not due to fewer qualified supervisors in companies.

These conditions imply that the current apprenticeship-system needs to be revised. Currently, focus is

mainly on increasing the amount of apprenticeships in the private sector, but the Government is aware that

the lack of, for instance, administrative apprenticeships in the public sector will need to be addressed in the

future as well.

Indicator EU7: In 2018, the total enrolment number (3684) has experienced a slight decrease, both in

relation to 2017 (3710) and baseline year 2013 (3856). It is important to note that the indicator is cohort

sensitive, meaning that the enrolment number may vary according to the size of the total age group that

can be expected to be enrolled in certain levels of the education system. Greenland is currently

experiencing a decline in these age groups, which may affect the indicator result for some years to come.

Enrolment numbers have decreased in high schools, VET, and bachelor programmes between 2017 and

2018, while short tertiary and master programmes have experienced a slight increase. However, it is

interesting to note that while enrolment abroad has declined, the enrolment number has increased in

Greenlandic high schools and higher education institutions. The main cause for this development is

13

believed to be the expansion of the course catalogue, as the variety of programmes offered at the

University of Greenland has gradually become more diverse. The high schools report higher admission

numbers – especially in Sisimiut, where they have been expanding cooperation between elementary school

and high school. The consistent decline in VET’s is a likely effect of the persisting problem with

apprenticeships. The number of completions in high school is lower than in 2017, which might be the cause

of the overall decrease in enrolment in bachelor programmes. Generally, the amount of female students

enrolling in further education is higher than the amount of male students, but this tendency is not unique

to Greenland.

Indicator EU8: The number of completions has increased by 2 graduations from 2017 to 2018 but has

increased by 3.4 % from 2013–2018. This is mainly due to an increase in graduations at bachelor level. The

number of graduations has increased in Greenland, while the number of graduations abroad have

decreased. This may be a consequence of the expansion of the course catalogue that has happened at the

University of Greenland in recent years, which has made it possible for more students to enrol in their

preferred bachelor programme without having to move abroad. However, it is important to note that the

indicator is cohort sensitive.

Indicator EU9: The overall completion rate, based on probability calculations, seems to be rather constant

around 50 % with only small fluctuations. The development in VET’s have improved since 2013, and high

school completion rates have dropped, although the latter has seen an increase between 2017 and 2018.

Going to high school is still the top priority for many students, even though it might not be the right choice

for them. However, recent efforts to accommodate a more diverse student group might have made a

difference on the overall result. Completion rates in higher education seems to be increasing over time with

some fluctuations. However, the indicator will change every year back in time until all students enrolling

that year have either graduated or dropped out. For this reason, it is too early to make any final conclusions

on the development of the indicator.

Indicator EU10: Transition rate to education within 2 years after completion in high school was below

baseline 2013 (64.1%) by 15 percentage points in 2018, but saw an overall increase of 2.8 percentage

points between 2017 and 2018. There has been an increase in high school students since the start of the

Greenland Education Programme, and the number of graduates has increased by 8 % in comparison to

2013. Many of these graduates come from families with no educational background and a high school

education in itself might be a huge achievement for them. The next step is therefore to create a culture for

continuing faster into higher education after high school. This overall aim also informs the work on the high

school reform, but it might take some years before an increase is seen in the indicator. As the high school

14

reform is being implemented, it is expected that the students’ competence level when graduating will

increase and thereby have a positive impact on the transition rate to further education. In recent years, the

opinion of the University of Greenland has been that the students enrolling in higher education are not

qualified enough, and they have subsequently tightened their admissions requirements in order to increase

the quality at the university. The effect of this decision might have influenced the development of the

indicator in 2017 where a decrease in the indicator was recorded. The Ministry of Education has since

continued the dialogue with the University of Greenland about ensuring that students are not kept out of

the education system. In 2018, as mentioned in the section regarding EU2, an upskilling programme for

prospective teacher students ran on a trial basis, aiming at increasing enrolment without compromising on

student qualifications. This seems to have had a positive effect, as the transition rate from high school to

bachelor level increased by 2.4 % between 2017 and 2018.

Indicator EU11: In 2016, the transition rate to education within 2 years after dropout saw an unexpected

decrease (38.2 %) from 2015 (41.5 %). The decrease was in particular due to a decrease in transition from

high school to reenrolment to high school and from high school to VET. In 2017 the transition rate

increased again (39.6 %), but remained below baseline (41.5 %). However, EU11 is composed of three levels

of education (High School, VET and Higher Education) and does therefore not provide any information that

pinpoints dropout patterns on specific levels or indicates whether dropout rates should be considered high,

normal or low. Also, although, for instance, a high transition rate from high school to high school may

influence the indicator positively, it is not necessarily a positive development, that an increasing amount of

students need to drop out of high school in order to start over again. Furthermore, the total share of

reenrolments includes a number of illogical steps, which may cause the overall result to be inaccurate. It

was therefore agreed to adjust the variable tranche indicator to focus on transition to VET after dropout

from High School (EU11a2) in order to pinpoint possible problem areas more accurately. High School to VET

movements was chosen, as it is a valuable input, especially in connection with the work on creating a

cohesive and flexible education system.

Between 2017 and 2018, EU11 saw an increase of 4.4 percentage points. Unfortunately EU11a2 has seen a

negative development between 2017 and 2018. In 2017, transition rate from high school to VET was 21.3 %

and in 2018 the rate had decreased to 16.8 %. A possible reason for this decline may be that some high

school drop outs are awaiting the launch of the eGUX programme scheduled in 2019 instead of enrolling in

a different youth education. From 2019, where eGUX is expected to have a positive influence on many

other indicators, it may therefore have a negative influence on transition from high school to VET. Many

high school students, who might consider applying for a VET programme after dropping out, might choose

15

to try again in the distance learning high school programme. If this is the case, the indicator might be

influenced by this in years to come, but should gradually become less significant as the distance learning

programme grows older and more students choose this option the first time. On the positive side,

indicators reporting completion rates in high school might consequently increase if this is the case.

Furthermore, the development of the indicator could be a consequence of shortcomings in the guidance

efforts. The results of the upcoming “Study to assess the current overall educational and vocational

guidance effort” are therefore highly anticipated by the Government of Greenland, as they might produce

valuable insight in terms of future efforts in student guidance. Naturally, the lack of apprenticeships also

has an effect on transition to VET. The preparatory work on creating a cohesive and flexible education

system will be taking all of the above into account.

Indicator EU12: Administrative staff completing training was measured for the first time in 2014. The

indicator reflects the planned activity levels for the Office for Human Resource Development in the

Government. The number of administrative staff completing training has been increasing since 2014. The

number of participant days was 1,484 in 2014, 1,972 in 2016, and 2,466 in 2017. In 2018, however the

number experienced a significant decline and was 1,261 participant days. The decline may be a result of

fewer courses being offered and fewer employees partaking in them.

3.1.2 Variable tranche indicators

The indicators for the variable tranche payment are shown in Table 2 with baseline value 2013, targets and

results for 2018 and weights used for the calculation. Total achievement for the variable tranche in 2018 is

80 %.

16

Table 2: Variable tranche indicators

No. Indicator Weight

2018 Baseline

2013 Target 2018

Result 2018

Target Achieve-

ment*

Contri- bution**

EU2b Share of professionals in elementary school 0.20 80.3 % 81.7 % 83 % 1.9286 0.2000

EU4 Transition rate to education 1 year after elementary school

0.20 35.4% 42 % 45 % 1.4545 0.2000

EU8 Number of completions 0.20 968 1000 1001 1.0312 0.2000

EU11a2 Transition rate to education 2 years after drop-out (high school to VET)

0.20 17.5 %% 22 % 16.8 % -0.1555 0.0000

EU13 Expenditure on education as percentage of total public expenditure****

0.20 25.8% 25 % 25.02 % 1.0000 0.2000

Tranche 1.00 0.8000

Notes:

* Target achievement is defined as TA = (R-B) / (T-B). ** Contribution is defined as CT = MIN(W, TA x W). *** TA is not defined as T = B. As R > B, TA is set to 1.000. **** As T < B in 2013, the baseline value is not used in the calculation of TA.

17

3.2 Inputs

The total public expenditure for the education sector in 2018 was EUR 351.5 million, which accounts for

25.02 % of the total expenditure of the public sector. There has thus been a decline in expenditure on

education, both in relation to baseline year 2013 (25.8 %) and to 2017 (25.3 %). In 2018, the Greenland

Education Programme II included initiatives from the Education Plan II amounting to EUR 19.3 million.

EU13: Education as a percentage of total expenditure

2013 2016 2017 2018 Target 2018 Target 2020

Government 23.0 % 23.2 % 23.9 % 21.9 %

Municipalities 29.9 % 28.2 % 27.1 %15 28.6 %

In total 25.8 % 25.4 % 25.3 % 25.02 % 25 % 25 %

15 Due to Qaasuitsup Municipality splitting into Avannaata Municipality and Qeqertalik Municipality as of 1. January 2018, it was

difficult for the municipal administration to finalise their expenditure for 2017. Following agreement between the Ministry of Education and the Commission, the final result for 2017 was calculated using Qaasuitsup Municipality’s expenditure for 2016.

18

3.3 Description of planned activities and results

3.3.1 Pre-school

Lifelong learning begins in pre-school. Early efforts can provide children with a good basis for continued and

lifelong learning. The Government wants to ensure, that there is sufficient capacity in public institutions for

all pre-school children, so that the children develop social and personal skills and the best preconditions for

their future learning in elementary school and further education. Moreover, it is important that the

professionals in the day-care institutions are qualified in order to develop and prepare children for

elementary school.

The demand for qualified professionals in the pre-school sector depends on the share of children in pre-

schools. In 2018, 76 % of all children attended pre-school on a national basis. From 2013–2018, the share of

children in public day-care (age 0-5) has increased by 6.9 %-points, and if this increase continues, the

demand for qualified professionals will follow suit. Urbanisation will also put increased pressure on the

recruitment and retention of qualified personnel in day-care institutions, as the share of children in pre-

school tends to be a lot higher in cities than in settlements, where it is more common for children to be

cared for at home or in private day care. For many years, Greenland has seen an increasing tendency of the

settlement inhabitants relocating to larger towns and cities, and there is no indication that this tendency

will shift in the near future.

Recruiting qualified personnel to day-care institutions in Greenland is, however, already a challenge today.

It is particularly evident in settlements, where the remoteness and relative isolation is a challenge for

recruitment and retention of qualified personnel. Despite educating a large (and increasing) amount of

professionals for the day care area, many of the graduates choose to take up employment in other sectors.

Around half of the employees in day-care institutions are professionals, and according to a report by

Epinion, the average seniority among the staff is 7 years and 9 years for managers.16 Among the reasons for

the challenges with retention, according to the report, is that the pedagogical professionals can obtain a

higher salary by working in elementary schools or residential institutions than by taking up employment in

the pre-school institutions. Furthermore, the lack of qualified personnel itself seems to be a challenge to

retention, as understaffing can cause both emotional and physical stress. Bargaining rights on behalf of

pedagogical staff belongs to their Union, and the Government of Greenland therefore awaits upcoming

negotiations in 2020 before formulating concrete measures for salary increase.

16 “Kortlægning af daginstitutionsområdet”, Epinion, December 2017. For a summary of main conclusions in English, see Annex 10.

19

So far, unskilled personnel in the pre-school sector have been offered courses and upskilling in order to

meet the demand, and although it has improved the situation, this effort does not seem to sufficiently

address the issue. In order to provide children with the best possible pre-school system in the future,

recruitment and retention in day-care institutions must therefore receive increased attention.

Pre-schools in Greenland are a municipal responsibility, but the Government provides framework and

assistance to municipal administrations and institutions through the services of the Agency for Education.

In order to act as a coordinating institution between municipalities and Government, the Agency for

Education underwent a large-scale organisational change in 2017. Although the new structure and role of

the Agency for Education has facilitated a more structured cooperation between different actors in the pre-

school sector, it is clear that further improvement is needed.

Indicators within the Pre-School area are shown below with baseline values, results and targets.

EU1: Share of children in Pre-School

2013 2017 Midterm target 2017

Result 2018 Target 2020

Total 69.1 % 74 % 72 % 76 % 77 %

Qaasuitsup17 65.9 % 68 % -

Qeqertalik - - 79 %

Avannaata - - 68 %

Qeqqata 79.9 % 86 % 84 %

Sermersooq 68.3 % 75 % 77 %

Kujalleq 64.6 % 76 % 75 %

Town 73.7 % 80 % 81 %

Settlement 41.1 % 42 % 47 %

17 As of January 1 2018, the Municipality of Qaasuitsup has been divided into two new municipalities. The data from Statistics Greenland on 7th grade results has been divided retrospective.

20

EU2a: Share of professionals in Pre-school



Total 56.0 % 48 % 58 % 47 % 64 %

Qaasuitsup 54.9 % 52 % -

Qeqertalik - - 50 %

Avannaata - - 46 %

Qeqqata 54.1 % 47 % 45 %

Sermersooq 54.6 % 42 % 43 %

Kujalleq 66.3 % 58 % 62 %

Town 59.9 % 50 % 51 %

Settlement 27.9 % 25 % 21 %

In order to achieve the targets for the share of children in pre-school and share of professionals, the

following activities have been carried out in 2018.

3.3.1.1 Expansion of day-care capacity

Even though the Government does not aim for all children to be enrolled in pre-school, efforts to provide

the opportunity for all children to attend pre-school continue. The share of children in pre-school has

already reached and exceeded the 2017 midterm target by 4 %-points, but there is still a need for

expanding day-care capacity, as the waiting lists – especially in larger towns and cities – can be very long.

The positive development between 2014 and 2015 saw a decline in 2016 and 2017, so efforts to increase

the share of children in pre-school continued in 2018, and it seems that the positive trend has returned. In

settlements, it is less common for children to attend day-care, as they are often taken care of at home or,

for instance, by grandparents. However, as these children are likely to have to move to a larger town at

some point during their elementary education, it is key that efforts to prepare them for school begin as

early as possible and that their school readiness is assessed in a professional way. To support the objective

of increasing the share of children in pre-school, this initiative has therefore been aimed at developing pre-

school facilities in settlements that are currently without pre-school facilities.

As of 1 January 2018, construction of day-care facilities has become a municipal responsibility. The Agency

for Education does, however, still provide guidance and support to the municipalities and their day-care

institutions. Therefore, this initiative now mainly concerns professionals and other staff in pre-schools.

18 An error in the reported value for 2013 regarding indicator EU2a: share of professionals in pre-school has been found. For this reason, the baseline 2013 cannot be established. Instead, baseline value will be 2014.

21

Activities and results

In 2018, the Government decided to continue its focus on securing enough personnel in day care

institutions. The review of the current situation and forecast of the need for recruitment and retention of

staff in the day care sector, conducted by Epinion in 2017, formed the basis for developing a strategy and

action plan for personnel in day care institutions. The strategy and action plan was completed in 2018 and

will be used as input for future initiatives targeting recruitment and retention of professionals in

preschools.19

3.3.1.2 The day-care sector

Within the day care sector, focus remains on implementing pedagogical principles for learning and

development that can help create a sound basis for developing social competences and inspire children to

take an interest in learning so they become ready to continue into elementary school. The principles are as

follows:

all children should have a safe upbringing with well-being,

all children should be able to develop and unfold their full potential,

all children should have an equal chance to get a good schooling through ensuring the best possible physical, mental and social readiness for school

all children should have a healthy adulthood and contribute to society.


In 2018, a tool for screening children’s school development and school readiness has been implemented in

all towns, settlements and sheep farms.

Furthermore, the Agency for Education has continued to develop materials that can support the

pedagogical work in day-care institutions, and has carried out a series of conferences on the transition from

day-care to elementary school. Also, education programmes for personnel in day-care institutions have

been developed and coaching sessions for personnel has taken place in settlements.

19The report is currently being translated into English, but can be found in Danish here: https://naalakkersuisut.gl/da/Naalakkersuisut/Departementer/Uddannelse-Kultur-Kirke-og-Udenrigsanliggende/Publikationer

22

3.3.1.3 Strategy and Action Plan for professionals in day-care institutions

In order to get a proper overview of the many ongoing initiatives in the pre-school sector as well as

securing recruitment, education, up-skilling, and retention of personnel in day-care institutions, work

began on developing a strategy and action plan in cooperation with relevant stakeholders.

The strategy and action plan for retention of personnel in day-care institution should contribute to:

Higher retention of pedagogical personnel in day-care

Optimisation of the quality and content of education and up-skilling

Securing continuous focus on the working environment and well-being of the personnel

Securing that the use of IT is up to date and in line with Government strategies

Monitoring and evaluating the overall efforts and securing continuous development within the pre-

school area


Based on the above, the Agency for Education started working on mapping the entire pre-school area in

2017. A report (published by Epinion in late 2017) formed the basis of two seminars held in early 2018,

where representatives from Government, municipalities, education institutions, and relevant organisations

met to discuss the conclusions. The final report, “Strategy and action plan for professionals in day-care

institutions”, has been submitted and approved by the Cabinet in 2018. An English translation of the report

is attached in Annex 11.

23

3.3.2 Elementary school

The elementary school is one of the most important focal areas of the Greenland Education Programme II,

as it lays the academic foundation for all further education. When children leave elementary school, they

must have achieved the competencies necessary to continue into further education.

One of the major challenges is recruiting qualified teachers for all schools in Greenland (EU2b). Particularly

in the settlements, where the extreme remoteness and relative isolation is a challenge to the recruitment

and retention of personnel. In baseline year 2013, only 50 % of the teachers in settlements were qualified,

and although that number increased between 2013 and 2016, it dropped slightly in 2017. In 2018, however,

the share of qualified teachers in elementary schools saw an increase, as 83 % of the teachers on national

level had a formal education. The share has increased in both towns and settlements. As such a positive

development was not expected, it will be interesting to see if it can continue in the future.

Qualified teachers still have good possibilities for obtaining permanent employment in the larger towns and

therefore tend to not take up employment in the settlements. There are already incentives for taking

employment in settlements and remote districts, as a teacher in a remote district will earn 80 EUR extra a

month and have a reduced rent of approximately 270 EUR per month. Furthermore, the municipalities can

choose to offer fixed-term employment contracts, which entail a yearly free travel to the teachers’

hometown along with a bonus of approximately 2,700 EUR when the fixed-term ends.

However, the challenges with recruitment and retention endure, and as a large number of existing teachers

will retire in the near future while fewer new teachers are expected to graduate in the coming years, it is

necessary to increase the attention on finding alternative solutions in order to provide the best possible

education for all children, while working on building a larger pool of qualified teachers, as this will take

some years. Online tools may be a remedy for the lack of qualified teachers in remote areas, as it enables

the pupils in settlement schools to follow classes taught by qualified teachers in larger towns or cities via,

for instance, online video conferences. Therefore, the Ministry of Education maintains its focus on the

possibilities of implementing e-learning in elementary schools. In this regard, the Government is aware of

the importance of establishing a stable internet connection.

Furthermore, although the transition rate to education 1 year after completing elementary school (EU4)

has reached the set target in 2018, it has historically had difficulties doing so, and the results have

fluctuated. This underscores the conclusions of the 2015 report on the Greenlandic elementary school, and

indicates a need for improving the elementary school system’s ability to prepare its pupils for further

24

education. Focus is therefore on increasing quality in the elementary schools and thereby increasing the

share of pupils continuing into youth education.

Elementary schools in Greenland are a municipal responsibility, but the Government provides framework

and assistance to municipal administrations and schools through the services of the Agency for Education.

In order to act as a coordinating institution between municipalities and Government, the Agency for

Education underwent a large-scale organisational change in 2017. Although the new structure and role of

the Agency for Education has facilitated a more structured cooperation between different actors in the

elementary school sector, it is clear that further improvement is needed.

Indicators within the elementary school area are shown below with baseline values, results, and targets.

EU2b: Share of professionals in elementary school


VT target 2018


Elementary school 80.3 % 81.7 % 84 % 81.7 % 83 % 87 %

Qaasuitsup 76.3 % 86.1 %

-

Qeqertalik - - 87.8 %

Avannaata - - 72.4 %

Qeqqata 78.1 % 76.6 % 86.0 %

Sermersooq 86.8 % 90.1 % 91.2 %

Kujalleq 74.8 % 67.9 % 70.3 %

Towns 88.9 % 89.9 % 90.8 %

Settlements 50 % 50.9 % 51.4 %

EU3: 7th grade test

2013 2017 Midterm target 2017 Result 2018 Target 2020

Elementary school 56.25 59.25 58.25 54.50 63.00

Qaasuitsup 58.25 - -

Qeqertalik - 53.25 54.50

Avannaata - 55.00 51.00

Qeqqata 54.25 59.75 54.50

Sermersooq 59.00 65.25 60.00

Kujalleq 53.25 55.00 50.75

Male 52.75 56.00 51.50

Female 60.00 61.75 56.25

25

EU4: Transition rate to education 1 year after completion


VT target 2018


Elementary school 35.4 % 40 % 42 % 42 % 45 % 48 % Qaasuitsup 32.3 % 37.0 % -

Qeqertalik 63.2 % 32.8 % 42.2 %

Avannaata 29.1 % 38.3 % 35.2 %

Qeqqata 38.8 % 32.6 % 51.4 %

Sermersooq 34.8 % 45.4 % 49.3 %

Kujalleq 43.5 % 42.5 % 38.8 %

Male 32.2 % 36.2 % 49.3 %

Female 38.2 % 43.4 % 38.8 %

In order to achieve the targets for share of professionals, improved quality in the elementary school, and

increased transition to further education, the following activities have been carried out in 2018.

3.3.2.1 A better basis for youth education

In order to address the issues regarding the transition rate to education 1 year after completion, the

Government decided to start working on examining the possibilities for creating a cohesive and flexible

education system, modelled upon 12 years of compulsory education, which will create a natural basis for

further education (see section 3.3.7.1).

In the elementary school area, the goal is to provide pupils from settlements with the opportunity to stay

there until grade 9, when they will have to transfer to schools in larger towns. Grade 11–12 will take place

in campus cities within the pupil’s academic discipline of choice (technical, language, business etc.) and on

the level that suits the pupil’s qualifications. A precondition for this is that the academic level of the

elementary school system is improved early on and in a way that contributes to enabling the pupils to make

qualified decisions regarding their educational choices. This includes communicating the importance of

pursuing an education and of mobility in connection with education early on in elementary schools. The

target group for this communication is both pupils and their parents.


In 2018, as part of the work on creating a cohesive and flexible education system (see section 3.3.7.1), a

working group was appointed with the task of developing project. Also, several project groups consisting of

people with direct experience within different fields of education were appointed, one of which deals

directly with elementary education. They have delivered their individual recommendations to the working

group in 2018. A final report containing initiatives and recommendations will be submitted to the

Government in late 2019.

26

3.3.2.2 IT in elementary schools

Digital appliances and platforms play an increasingly significant role in our everyday lives, and it is therefore

important to equip future generations with the necessary tools to navigate and partake in an increasingly

digital society. It is no longer sufficient to rely solely on local teachers to secure that future citizens receive

an adequate digital education, which is an increasingly important skill. Digital education covers both

technological skills, but also the ability to critically approach the massive amount of information that we are

exposed to on a daily basis on digital platforms and social media.


In cooperation with the Agency for Digitalisation, the Agency for Education has submitted a strategy for

digitalisation in elementary schools, “A Digital Elementary School”.20 The strategy covers three main

themes

Digital materials will allow for greater focus on academic development and quality, as it will save

time and resources as well as improve conditions for both distributing and updating materials.

Furthermore, it will help minimising errors and thus increase the quality of written tests. It is

necessary to keep the current IT-infrastructure in mind, and have both online and offline options

available. It is expected that, in time, digitalisation of materials will lead to better conditions for

differentiated teaching, which will benefit a more diverse pupil group, including students with

special needs.

Digital skills are increasingly important to master. First, it provides students and teachers with a

new opportunity to work creatively and innovatively with a variety of complex tasks. Furthermore,

the internet has opened up for new experiences, knowledge, games, and communication. The

digital world that has opened up for both children and young adults is enormous, and navigating

and partaking in it is not without risk. It is therefore key to equip the pupils with the necessary tools

in order to approach it critically and provide professionals with the ability to teach these skills.

Infrastructure and administration is key in developing a digital elementary school. Successful

implementation depends on communication. This implies limiting the amount of communication

channels, increasing the availability of data and facilitating exchange of knowledge and

experiences. Furthermore, it is important to establish a common understanding of how distance

learning can be utilised.

20 http://iserasuaat.gl/da/Folkeskole/Nyheder/2017/12/Atuarfik%20Digitaliusoq (Danish and Greenlandic only).

http://iserasuaat.gl/da/Folkeskole/Nyheder/2017/12/Atuarfik%20Digitaliusoq

27

The two agencies have started drafting possible initiatives within the framework of the strategy. Among

these are digital learning materials and tests, developing the use of technology in elementary schools

(digital didactics and digital education), digital information sharing, and improved administration and data

readiness. For the school year 2018/2019, 250 digital titles have been made available for use both online

and offline.

Many of the projects relating to the initiative has required cooperation with municipalities, the Teacher

Training College, and external partners. In addition, both the Agency for Education and the Teacher Training

College have been working on developing the digital skills among their employees in order to make IT a

natural part of everyday activities.

3.3.2.3 Revision of Elementary School Legislation

Following the independent evaluations of the elementary school system in 2015 and Teacher Training

Programme in 2016, it was concluded that existing elementary school legislation has not been sufficiently

implemented in Greenlandic elementary schools. Also, the quality of the teaching does not live up to the

political goal that all children, regardless of social inheritance or place of residence, have equal access to

qualified teaching based on their individual prerequisites and needs. The consequences of this is especially

clear in relation to the 7th grade tests, but also in connection with the transition and completion rates.

Implementation and control regarding elementary education in Greenland remains a municipal

responsibility. However, because of the above issues, the Government decided to revise current legislation

on elementary schools in order to provide a better national framework for local implementation. During its

fall session 2017, Parliament approved a number of amendments to the existing legislation, including the

opportunity for pupils to either retake or skip a school year, if it is deemed important for the pupil’s well-

being or beneficial to their learning or development. Furthermore, the Order on Special Education has been

revised, in order to offer more suitable options and better support for pupils with special needs.


In connection with the work on creating a cohesive and flexible education system (see section 3.3.7.1), the

Government decided to revise the organisation and content of elementary education in order for it to

become part of an education system with a better flow in the transition to youth education. Therefore, in

2018, the Agency for Education has worked on conducting relevant surveys and drafting a report in close

cooperation with the municipalities. The results of this work will form the basis for a new Order and an

action plan for further activities. As this is a large scale operation, which is still in its early stages, there is

currently no timeline available.

28

3.3.2.1 Quality and School Development

As elementary schools are a municipal responsibility, and as learning primarily happens in the classrooms

through interactions between student and teacher, it is difficult for the central administration to directly

influence these processes. Therefore, the Government’s main role is to set targets, provide the necessary

framework, and evaluate the efforts. Through the Agency for Education, the Government supports the

elementary school system with education, upskilling, learning materials, and counselling. The municipalities

are responsible for the operation and activity in elementary schools and are better equipped to influence,

for example, pedagogical initiatives and local developments. Based on this, the Agency for Education is

working on developing a new structure for cooperation between the involved actors, where the municipal

school authorities take main responsibility for forming their efforts based on their own needs.


In close cooperation with the municipalities, the Agency for Education has begun drafting the processes for

closer cooperation. Instead of offering the current extent of short courses, the effect of which has been

limited, the Agency for Education has been working on developing initiatives in cooperation with

municipalities and schools, based on individual needs and on binding agreements. Among the initiatives

being developed are IT in elementary schools (see section 3.3.2.2) and Education and Up-skilling (see

section 3.3.2.2).

Furthermore, in 2017 an international expert group was appointed by the Government in order to

strengthen the quality of language training in Greenlandic elementary schools (see section 3.3.2.3). The

expert group submitted its recommendations in late 2017, and its final report in 2018.21

3.3.2.2 Education and Up-skilling

Based on the independent evaluation of the elementary school, and in line with recommendations from the

“External Review of EU Support to the Education Sector 2007–2013”, the Ministry of Education will continue

to work for qualified and trained personnel at all schools, as it is of utmost importance, that all children are

met by trained staff. At schools, where they lack trained teachers, the teachers will be offered relevant and

qualified up-skilling in order to educate the children in a pedagogically responsible and developing manner.

Non-trained personnel are particularly used in settlements, which is why education and up-skilling among

the settlement’s personnel is a special area of focus. Furthermore, up-skilling opportunities for teachers,

who teach students with special needs, will be developed.

21 The final report is published in English at http://naalakkersuisut.gl/en/Naalakkersuisut/Departments/Uddannelse-Kultur-Kirke-og-Udenrigsanliggende/Publikationer/Sprograpport

29

All children must be offered learning activities that fit their needs. The school personnel must therefore be

trained to be able to care for all children, despite their physical, emotional, social, and cultural

development and strengthen their wellbeing, resilience and connection to the community. The qualified

part of the staff is still to be offered upskilling through graduate studies.


Based on the evaluation of the Greenlandic elementary school system, the Agency for Education initiated

an organisational change in 2017, enabling the agency to offer more need-oriented counselling services and

courses to the municipal administrations and schools. The municipalities, who are the main target for the

courses and services, will now be able to make requests based on individual needs. Courses that are

centrally planned and structured have therefore be downsized in order to make room for courses and

programmes that are planned in cooperation with the recipients. The courses integrate IT in the didactic

approach.

Furthermore, the Agency for Education and Teacher Training College have increased their cooperation, in

order to develop and strengthen coordination between the two parties. The Teacher Training College will

still be responsible for upskilling and graduate studies and has started working on starting a large-scale up-

skilling programme in 2018.

In 2018, the Agency for Education has focused on upskilling non-trained staff in elementary schools and

offering courses to part time teachers and school principals have received special attention. The planning of

these initiatives have been carried out in close cooperation with the municipalities.

3.3.2.3 Strengthening language training

Data from the Agency for Education indicates that elementary school pupils continue to face difficulties in

language subjects (Danish, Greenlandic and English). Therefore, the Ministry of Education appointed an

international expert group consisting of experts from Greenland, Denmark, Iceland, and Canada, which – in

close cooperation with municipalities and schools – was given the task of strengthening and developing

language learning.22

The international expert group covered, described and analysed the following issues:

The relationship between and relative status of languages

The current language prioritisation’s effect on education strategy

22 An English version of the final report of the Expert Group on Language Training can be found here: https://naalakkersuisut.gl/~/media/Nanoq/Files/Publications/Uddannelse/Sprograpport%20UK%202018indd-1.pdf

30

Assessment of the opportunities and challenges that will occur following a possible change in the

current prioritisation

Assessment of the quality of language training

Comparison between language training in preschool and elementary schools in Greenland and

other bilingual countries


In 2018 a final report has been submitted.23 Possible actions will be considered based on its

recommendations. So far the work of the expert group has served as the basis for conducting four seminars

on language learning, including a variety of actors within elementary education in Greenland. The planning

of a fifth seminar begun in 2018, and invitations have been extended to relevant parties across Greenland

as well as Iceland and Nunavut, Canada. The fifth seminar will take place in March 2019.

23 The final report is published in English at http://naalakkersuisut.gl/en/Naalakkersuisut/Departments/Uddannelse-Kultur-Kirke-og-Udenrigsanliggende/Publikationer/Sprograpport

31

3.3.3 Young people outside the education system

The term “young people outside the education system” refers to 16–18-year-olds, who are not enrolled in a

youth education or a continuation school after finishing elementary school. The longer it takes before you

start your further education, the greater the risk that you will never get started.

Many young people do not have the qualifications from elementary school to continue into further

education. Therefore, focus is on up-skilling of these young people to continue into a youth education and

thereby decrease the share of young people outside the education system (EU5). The share of 16–18-year-

olds outside the education system has overall had a positive development since baseline year 2013, as

more young people continue into continuation schools and youth educations. However, the share outside

of the education system does fluctuate and remains too high.

The work on creating a cohesive and flexible education system aims to deal with this issue by making the

transition from elementary school to youth education smoother and thus creating a natural flow, carrying

elementary school graduates into the educational programme that suits them best, be it high school or

vocational education and training.

The fact that initiatives targeting this age group are initiated in both the Ministry of Education and the

Ministry of Labour has made it evident that better coordination within the Government is necessary. From

2019, relevant initiatives coming from the Ministry of Labour will therefore be featured in the Education

Plan II and the corresponding Annual Work Plan.

The indicator within the area is shown below with baseline value, result, and targets.

EU5: Share of age group outside education system



16–18 years old 61.6 % 60.1 % 57 % 57.4 % 40 %

Women 59.0 % 58.1 % 54.8 %

Men 64.2 % 62.2 % 60.1 %

In order to decrease the share of young people outside the education system, the below activities were

carried out in 2018.

3.3.3.1 Stays at Folk High Schools and Continuation Schools in Denmark

Funds have been allocated so more young people from families that are financially hard-pressed will be

able to attend folk high schools or continuation schools in Denmark. The aim of the initiative has been to

32

ensure that young people, who experience difficulties with foreign languages and who do not have the

qualifications to continue in education after elementary school, get the opportunity to acquire these

competencies at a folk high school or continuation school in Denmark. Furthermore, a stay abroad and

away from home will prepare the pupils for their further education where many young people will have to

move away from home.


An amendment to the Folk High School Act entered into force 1 January 2018. The amendment allocates

funds for the Folk High Schools in Greenland based on the amount of students they accept. In addition, the

amendment will allow the schools to offer preparatory training for tests, such as the Elementary School

Exam. From 2018 and onwards, continuation school students in Greenland have also gained the

opportunity to take the Elementary School Exam in main subjects at the continuation school. This is offered

in order to ease their transition to youth education in Greenland.

In order to minimise dropouts at continuation schools, the Agency for Education drafted a plan for

organising preparatory camps for continuation school students in cooperation with, among others, the

Danish Continuation School Association and the Greenlandic Houses in Denmark. The preparatory camps

were carried out immediately before the beginning of the school year 2018/2019.

3.3.3.1 A smoother transition from elementary school to youth education

Between 2013 and 2018, only 10–15 % of elementary school graduates transitioned to youth education

immediately after finishing elementary school, and even though 40–50 % transitioned to continuation

school in Greenland or in Denmark, only approximately 45 % of the students had enrolled in youth

education within a year of completing elementary school. Thus, around 60 % was not enrolled in an

educational programme during the above period. A considerable share of this group does not continue into

youth education at all, a share that the Government wishes to reduce to 25 % in 2024.

The reasons behind these numbers may be many and complex, but they indicate that the counselling and

guidance that the pupils receive in elementary school is insufficient. The work on creating a cohesive and

flexible education system therefore includes this issue as an area of special attention (see section 3.3.7.1).


In 2018, as part of the work on creating a cohesive and flexible education system (see section 3.3.7.1), a

working group was appointed with the task of developing project proposals. Also, several project groups

consisting of people with direct experience within different fields of education were appointed, of which

33

several have been focusing on areas relating to young people outside the education system. They have

delivered their individual recommendations to the working group in 2018. A final report containing

initiatives and recommendations will be submitted to the Government in late 2019.

34

3.3.4 High School

The high school must have a high academic level and prepare the students for higher education, but it is

also important that it is inclusive and has room for diversity. This implies a need for focus on supporting the

students, who are academically challenged in one or more subjects, and provision of support and guidance

to students with psychological or social problems. However, it also implies accommodating students with

very different social, geographical, and academic backgrounds. The objective is that more students

complete high school and continue into higher education.

The quality of the elementary education that students have received prior to high school varies, many are

first generation high school students, and it is not uncommon for students to have one or more children

while attending high school. In addition, some students encounter difficulties as a result of the language

barrier that occurs when classes are taught in either Danish or the West Greenlandic dialect. Furthermore,

Greenland is currently home to four high schools in Nuuk, Qaqortoq, Aasiaat and Sisimiut, and prospective

students, who do not live in a city, where high school education is offered, have traditionally had to move

in order to attend a high school programme. This will change with the introduction of the distance learning

high school programme, eGUX, based at the school in Sisimiut.

Recruitment and retention of personnel is also a challenge in high schools. There are very few qualified high

school teachers who are able to teach in both Danish and Greenlandic, and a high turnover rate among teachers

recruited from Denmark often leads to loss of valuable information and experience, that will have to be rebuilt

when new teachers are hired. The high turnover rate also leads to a sense of instability among both students

and staff, who will need to adjust to a new teacher and colleague. The Government expects that employing

more Greenlandic teachers will improve retention of both students and teachers. In recent years, there have

been sufficient applicants from Denmark and other countries, and in addition, the high school in Nuuk is

participating in an ETA (English teacher assistant) exchange programme, currently involving a teacher from the

USA. Especially the high schools in Aasiaat and in Qaqortoq (the smallest communities) are experiencing

recruitment issues. These two schools also have the largest percentage of students, whose primary language is

Greenlandic, so providing lessons in English is a major challenge, particularly here.

Overall, there has been a focus on continuous development of initiatives within the fields of pedagogy and

academic competence. In this process, it is important to secure that local development is consistent with

general strategies for quality assurance and evaluation. The general objective is that more students

complete high school and continue into higher education (EU10).

Indicators within the high school area are shown below with baseline values, results, and targets.

35

EU7a: Enrolment; High School24



Total 1,317 1,205 1,320 1,198 1,320

Women 62.0 % 60 % 62 %

Men 38.0 % 40 % 38 %

EU8a: Number of completions; High School



Total 357 328 354 304 365

Women 64.1 % 56 % 62 %

Men 35.9 % 44 % 38 %

EU9a: Completion rate; High School25



Total 60.85 % 49.57 % 62 % 50.88 % 67 %

Women 59.76 % 50.83 % 54.16 %

Men 62.61 % 47.70 % 45.93 %

EU10: Transition rate to education 2 years after completion



High School 64.1 % 46.3 % 70 % 49 % 72 %

Women 70.5 % 47.6 % 53.5 %

Men 53.0 % 43.8 % 40.7 %

EU11a26: Transition rate to education 2 years after dropout



High School 57.5 % 39.6 % 40 % 44 %

Women 64/116 55/153 104/203

Men 51/84 42/110 81/149

Note: Due to the small number, the indicator divided into gender is not shown in percentage, as small changes will have a huge effect on the numbers reported.

24 This indicator has previously been known as “Attendance”. Due to risk of misinterpretation it has been decided to rename it

“Enrolment”. 25 Please note that these results have changed. This is a consequence of the method of calculation as described in Annex 5: Indicator Documentation Sheets 26 2015 and 2016 are not directly comparable, as Statistics Greenland has revised the method of calculation. Using the new method, figures for previous years have been recalculated.

36

In order to achieve the targets above, the following activities were carried out in 2018.

3.3.4.1 The High School Reform

The High School Reform of 2012 introduced a new education focusing on the development of the person as

a whole and giving each student the best possible conditions for academic and social development. As the

new High School programme is being implemented, the goal is that more young people start directly after

elementary school. The aim of the reform is to adjust structures, schools, and curricula to the students’

situations and needs, among other things the fact that many of the students complete high school in their

secondary language, but it also aims to comply with international standards. This is done in order for more

young people to be attracted to, included, and maintained in strong academic developmental

environments, so that they are ready and motivated for a higher education after three years. The reform

has 20 overall initiatives, but emphasis mainly lies within three areas:

Pedagogy: Including, but not limited to, secondary language training and culture based teaching

Academic competence: Including, but not limited to, fields of study, new subjects (culture, science,

study technique), and team work with a focus on both social and academic wellbeing

Guidance: Including, but not limited to, more professionalised guidance and extended study-,

career-, and personal counselling.

Since 2013, there has been an on-going external evaluation of the implementation and impact of the

reform, with mid-term evaluations in 2014 and 2015. The final evaluation of the first phase, was conducted

in 2016. The evaluations in this first phase have focused on the implementation of the reform and will be

used to determine where further implementation requires adjustment. Overall, the yearly external

evaluations show that the implementation has increased over the years, but there is still room for

improvement. The first evaluation phase ended after two cohorts had completed the education under the

new reformed system, and phase two is now taking place. The plan was to follow the developments closely

the first five years and then adjust according to the findings. The second phase will focus on the following

actions and continued evaluations as described below. As such, the final evaluation of phase one does not

conclude the evaluation of the impact of the reform of 2012 as there will be continuous developments and

evaluations within a 5-year cycle. See also Annex 9.


A revision was completed in 2016–2017, in which the schools, staff, and students have contributed to the

initiatives of the coming 5 years. 15 focal areas in need of special attention have been identified, sharing a

common objective of increasing implementation and the effect of the High School Reform of 2012. A large

37

part of this work will consist of examining opportunities for meeting the demands that follow in the wake

of increasing diversity.

New activities based on the evaluation in 2016 were initiated in 2017, including the establishment of

different local working groups in each of the schools. The schools will develop project plans, submit them

for approval to the Ministry of Education, try the structures of each evaluation item, and finally evaluate

them. The results and experiences from the schools will then form the basis for future practices and for the

final decisions regarding restructuring of the high school area. As Greenland only has four high schools with

limited resources, it has been deemed impossible for all schools to get involved in all evaluation items at

once. Therefore, the revision process is expected to be on going for several years with regular follow-up on

and conclusion of individual evaluation items.

3.3.4.2 Distance learning (E-GUX)

As a follow up on the closure of the 1-year study preparatory course, the Ministry of Education is examining

the possibilities of providing a high school programme through distance learning. The target group is the

same as for the closed study preparatory course, as the targeted potential students often have established

families and/or have full-time jobs in other cities than those with high schools. Distance learning is

estimated to provide educational opportunities for a number of people, who are either seeking the

flexibility that distance learning offers (e.g. in relation to job, family, etc.), or who do not want to/cannot

move to a city that offers a high school education. The Ministry of Education will also examine the

possibilities of extending the programme to fit students with special needs. Offering an online version of

the high school programme is expected to have a positive effect on the transition rate to higher education

within 2 years from completion.

In spring 2016, the Ministry of Education established a working group in order to examine the possibilities

of providing high school education via distance learning. The working group examined relevant issues, set

concrete proposals for political position, and submitted its final report in March 2017. Previously, distance

learning, where the students are located in school and their teacher is elsewhere, has been carried out in

high school. This working group should examine the possibilities of distance learning, where individual

students can study from home via the internet, and their teacher be located anywhere, as long as there a

stable internet connection is available.


The working group examined relevant issues and set concrete proposals for political position. Among the

conclusions were:

38

that the current internet infrastructure is in most cases reliable enough for distance learning to take place

that distance learning students need a support system of counsellors etc.

that a firm and recognisable weekly structure is needed. This could be especially suitable for students with special needs.

that the most suitable location for establishing the distance learning programme would be in Tech College Sisimiut.

Following the recommendations of the working group, the Ministry of Education has continued to develop

the initiative and is now aiming at launching a distance learning pilot project to be offered in 2019. This

project – a 2-year distance learning high school programme to begin in August 2019 – will build on the

lessons learned in connection with upskilling high school graduates, who do not meet the formal

qualifications for admission to higher education (such as the teacher training programme) due to

inadequate grades in individual subjects. Such an upskilling programme ran in 2018 and resulted in an

increase in acceptances at the Teacher Training College, despite tightened requirements.

3.3.4.1 2-year High School Programme for Adults

The study preparatory course ran on a trial base at the High School in Nuuk since 2005 and at the High

School in Aasiaat since 2008. The target group was adults above 23 years with at least three years of

documented professional experience, who would like to continue studying but lacked a qualifying exam. An

analysis of the course, based on the experiences of the trial scheme, concluded that it needed to be

revised. Furthermore, the University of Greenland experienced that students enrolled with a study

preparatory course background, have significant professional challenges. As it has not been possible to

improve the courses’ academic and educational content, the course ended in summer 2016, and a

replacement needed to be found.

In 2017, the Ministry of Education established a 2-year high school programme on a trial basis, replacing

the former 1-year study preparatory course for adults. The programme consists of compulsory standard

high school subjects as well as specific subjects required for a variety of further education programmes in

Greenland, such as the nurse practitioner programme. The 2-year programme entails twice as much

teaching at a higher level, and thus lives up to the minimum requirements of the high school exam and

provides access to higher education. The standard 3-year high school programme, however, remains the

most comprehensive and direct path towards pursuing higher education.

39


The programme started on a trial basis in Aasiaat in 2017 and 2018 and there is a wish to run another

round in 2019. The programme will be evaluated in cooperation with the higher education institutions.

Therefore, data on the amount of completions on higher education following the 2-year programme cannot

be collected until 2023–25.

3.3.4.1 GUX-S

In recent years, there has been an increase in the international community’s attention towards people with

disabilities. The United Nations, for instance, has demanded an increased focus on providing children and

young people with a disability with equal access to education. In order to accommodate a more diverse

population in the educational system, the Ministry of Education has launched a high school programme for

students with special needs in 2017. This programme has been prepared in close cooperation with relevant

organisations in Greenland, and consists of individually prepared study programmes, according to the

needs of each student. Prospective students are those who live up to the standard admissions

requirements of the regular high school programme, but are unable to partake in the standard high school

programme due to disabilities such as ADHD and autism.


The aim of the programme, named GUX-S, is to increase the opportunities for students with special needs,

who are deemed capable of completing a high school programme. In 2017, a trial programme started,

including the establishment of a special unit with competencies within the psychological, social, and special

education field, placed at Campus Kujalleq in Qaqortoq. The special unit supports all four high schools in

Greenland in terms of visitation, planning, up-skilling, and supervision. Meanwhile, the Ministry of

Education also examines the opportunities of connecting GUX-S to the e-GUX programme in order to

accommodate students, for whom moving to a city with high school education is not a feasible option due

to their disability.

The trial programme will end in 2021 and will be subject to yearly evaluations. These evaluations will form

the basis of deciding whether to make the programme a permanent offer.

40

3.3.5 Vocational Education and Training

A vocational education is a qualifying education that gives the individual direct access to skilled

employment in the labour market. Vocational education and training is fundamental to the Greenlandic

society, as practically oriented educational programmes, such as construction, senior care, fishing, and

transportation, relies highly on local skilled labour.

50 % of students in a vocational education programme do not complete their education. Of the dropouts,

36.8 % transitioned to education within 2 years in 2018. In addition, the average age upon completion

tends to be relatively high for vocational education and training. This indicates a need for improving the

transition from elementary education. Furthermore, the vocational education programmes must be

developed according to the present and future needs of the labour market, and the course catalogues at

the vocational colleges need to reflect these requirements. Therefore, the boards of directors at the

vocational colleges shall ensure the link to the labour market. Also, to secure better coordination within the

Government, a selection of initiatives coming from the Ministry of Labour will be featured in the Education

Plan II and the corresponding Annual Work Plan from 2019.

The economic situation influences the vocational educations as the students alternate between school

periods and internships in companies. In periods of low economic growth, the number of apprenticeships

traditionally tends to be low, but in recent years, periods of high economic growth has not appeared to

lead to a significant increase in the amount of internships either (EU6). It is important to ensure that

students still have the possibility to start and complete their education regardless of the economic

situation. Therefore increasing and then maintaining the number of apprenticeships has a high focus.

Indicators within the vocational education area are shown below with baseline values, results, and targets.

EU6: Number of apprenticeships



Vocational education and training

833 779 930 707 960

41

EU7b: Enrolment27




1,333 1,205 1,340 1,190 1,340

Women 49.0 % 49.9 % 49.5 %

Men 51.0 % 50.1 % 50.5 %

EU8b: Number of completions




410 427 407 421 480

Women 56.8 % 53 % 53 %

Men 43.2 % 47 % 47 %

EU9b: Completion rate28




48.07 % 50.76 % 50 % 50.78 % 55 %

Women 53.40 % 52.44 % 52.70%

Men 42.60 % 49.03 % 48.84 %

EU11b29: Transition rate to education 2 years after dropout




29.1 % 30.8 % 36.8 %

Women 41/148 58/202 85/217

Men 61/202 68/207 80/231


EU11a230: Transition rate to education 2 years after dropout (High school to VET)



High School to VET 17.5 % 21.3 % 16.8 %

27 This indicator has previously been known as “Attendance”. Due to risk of misinterpretation it has been decided to rename it “Enrolment”. 28 Please note that these results have changed. This is a consequence of the method of calculation as described in Annex 5: Indicator Documentation Sheets 29 2015 and 2016 are not directly comparable, as Statistics Greenland has revised the method of calculation. Using the new method, figures for previous years have been recalculated. 30 2015 and 2016 are not directly comparable, as Statistics Greenland has revised the method of calculation. Using the new method, figures for previous years have been recalculated.

42

EU12: Administrative staff completing training

2014* 2016 Midterm target 2017


Total 1,484 2,466 1,500 1,261 1,500

* As registration did not take place prior to 2014 the baseline year is 2014.

In order to achieve the targets of both an increasing number of enrolled students and graduates, the

following activities were carried out in 2018.

3.3.5.1 More apprenticeships

The vocational colleges experience a significant number of qualified and enrolled applicants who are unable

to initiate their education due to a lack of apprenticeships. The number of apprenticeships has consistently

been below baseline and has continued to decline. The problem of providing a sufficient number of

apprenticeships is particularly evident during periods of low economic activity, where it is often more

difficult for companies to sign a contract with apprentices for several years. However, years of increased

activity have not necessarily seen a significant rise in the number of apprenticeships. An amending bill to

the Parliament Act no. 10 of 19 May 2010, on vocational training and courses in vocational training, was

presented and adopted at the Spring Session in 2016. The amendment seeks to establish a clear framework

for the use of school apprenticeships. Previously, the apprentice contract has had to cover the whole

education period. Currently, it will be possible to make exemptions if the school can provide a school

apprenticeship and guarantee that the student can complete the practical training. The amendment

entered into force August 1st 2016.


In 2017, the Ministry of Education initiated the work on creating a cohesive and flexible education system

in Greenland (see section 3.3.7.1). Within the VET-sector, the reform will propose initiatives to make up for

the lack of apprenticeships and prevent a bottleneck problem. Among these initiatives are a 1-year

introductory programme, where students will not need an apprenticeship contract in order to start their

education. Proposed initiatives relating to the initiative are expected to be submitted to the Government in

2019.

The Ministry of Labour introduced a bill at the Parliament’s Autumn Session in 2016 that sets minimum

requirements for the number of apprenticeships a company must have, based on the number of skilled

workers in the company. In 2018, the Ministry of Labour has been working on a model for how the law can

be implemented. Parliament is expected to vote on the bill in 2019.

43

3.3.5.2 Short Vocational Education and Training Programmes

Because of the lack of skilled labour, the construction industry has requested new short vocational

education and training programmes within specific areas. The short modular educations take 1–2 years but

will provide qualifications to continue a long vocational education. The new education programmes will not

only be targeting young students but will also up-skill the unskilled workers in the construction industry.

Short vocational programmes are in high demand within the business sector as there is a shortage of

educated labour. In addition, the short vocational programmes will also contribute to up-skilling of

unskilled labour.


From 2018, the work on developing short vocational education and training programmes has become a

part of the work on creating a cohesive and flexible education system (see section 3.3.7.1). A working group

was appointed with the task of developing project proposals. Also, several project groups consisting of

people with direct experience within different fields of education were appointed, among these a group

dealing specifically with the VET sector. They have delivered their individual recommendations to the

working group in 2018. A final report containing initiatives and recommendations will be submitted to the

Government in late 2019.

3.3.5.1 Technology Management Programme

As activities in the mining, offshore, and construction industries increase, the need for technology

managers with specific knowledge of Arctic conditions will grow. Investments in large-scale mining projects

are on the rise, geological surveys are conducted in the search for natural resources, and plans for large-

scale infrastructure projects are progressing, all of which indicate a substantial need for technical knowhow

in the future. Likewise, the need for technology managers with knowledge of the environment and climate

sector is estimated to increase.

The goal is to establish an Arctic Technology Management Programme in Sisimiut in cooperation with the

Technology Management College in Copenhagen, based on the ARTEK-model. This will entail an expansion

of Tech College Greenland in Sisimiut’s current facilities, including construction of classrooms, laboratories,

and workshops.


In early 2018, a working group was established and assigned the task of developing a proposed curriculum

and composition for the programme. Their task has been to map out the need for qualified technology

44

managers, the need for and cost of expansion of facilities, and the pros and cons of sharing facilities with

other programmes at Tech College Greenland. The working group will submit a report to the Government

in 2019.

3.3.5.1 Education Programmes for the Fishing Industry

Based on requests from the fishing industry, where skilled labour is in high demand, the Ministry of

Education has been examining the possibilities of establishing educational programmes aimed at this

particular business sector.


In 2018, work on developing the following two programmes has been ongoing:

FishTechGL

A large part of the existing workforce in the fishing industry is unskilled, and it is estimated that upskilling

the personnel will be very beneficial for the companies. The Food College Greenland, INUILI, has been

working on developing a new programme in collaboration with Royal Greenland and the Employment

Office in Nuuk. The Ministry of Education and Food College Greenland, INUILI, have developed a curriculum

for the programme FishTechGL, expecting to start the programme in 2019.

Arctic Fishing Technology

A diploma programme in Arctic Fishing Technology targets the need for engineers, who are able to work in

the Greenlandic fishing industry and with sustainable use of maritime resources. The programme will thus

support the Greenlandic workforce with the technological skills needed to secure a sustainable and

effective development of the Greenlandic fishing and food processing industry.

The diploma programme in Arctic Fishing Technology is expected to start in 2019 in collaboration with the

Technical University of Denmark, DTU.

.

45

3.3.6 Higher Education

It is important to educate the youth to fill in the academic positions in the labour market in Greenland. To

increase the share of the population with a higher education, focus is on expanding the range of

professional bachelor's degrees, and supporting the establishment of more education programmes with a

structure based on the ARTEK model31. Furthermore, in order to maintain an international standard in

higher education programmes offered in Greenland, procedures for quality assurance need to be

developed. At the same time, young people should also be aware of the opportunity of pursuing an

education abroad.

Getting an education above elementary school level is a relatively new thing in Greenland. In many cases,

students, who choose to go to high school, are the first ones in their family to do so, and completing high

school is therefore often seen as an achievement in itself and not as a step in the direction of getting a

higher education. Enrolment in higher education upon completion of high school has therefore not always

been the natural choice for the majority of high school graduates. Luckily, the number of students enrolling

in higher education (EU7c) has seen an increase since baseline year 2013, most likely due to a larger variety

of courses at the University of Greenland, but the transition rate to education within 2 years after

completing high school (EU10) has been declining since 2013, which may indicate that students choose to

take more gap years between high school and higher education. Between 2017 and 2018 the transition rate

did, however, see an increase of 2.8 percentage points.

Once the students have enrolled in higher education, another challenge – drop out – occurs. Only around

half of the students in higher education complete their education (EU9c). Reasons for drop out vary and

can be very complex. Among the reasons may be that the amount of programmes offered in Greenland are

still very limited and students often have to go abroad to pursue their programme of choice. Many of these

students have never been outside of Greenland and are therefore often faced with the challenge of having

to cope with cultural differences, the practicalities of moving abroad, homesickness and a language barrier.

Even for students, who do not face language problems, the study culture abroad can be vastly different

from the one to which they are accustomed. Another reason may be that students do not receive adequate

help in the process of choosing a higher education and therefore often end up making the wrong choice.

The earlier they reach this conclusion and can start in another programme the better, but ideally, they

should not have to make a wrong choice the first time around. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the

current student guidance system to see if any improvements can be made. Furthermore, it is not

31 The ARTEK-model is collaboration between a Greenlandic educational institution and a foreign educational institution offering an education partly taken in Greenland and partly abroad. The expenditure for operations is divided between the institutions.

46

uncommon for students in higher education in Greenland, especially at master’s level, to be offered full

time work, which can lead to delayed graduation or even drop out.

Indicators within higher education are shown below with baseline values, results, and targets.

EU7c: Enrolment32



Short cycle 126 195 126 210 126

Bachelor 957 941 957 919 957

Master 123 164 123 167 123

Total Higher Education 1,206 1,300 1,206 1,296 1,206

Women 69.0 % 68.4 % 71 %

Men 31.0 % 31.6 % 29 %

EU8c: Number of completions



Short cycle 24 57 48 68 54

Bachelor 148 149 155 174 173

Master 29 38 32 34 38

Total Higher Education 201 244 235 276 265

Women 71.1 % 64.3 % 82 %

Men 28.9 % 35.7 % 28 %

EU9c: Completion rate33



Short cycle 53.41 % 55.87 % 48 % 55.60 % 54 %

Bachelor 43.95 % 44.81 % 52 % 44.67 % 55 %

Master 73.65 % 88.11 % 80 % 84.66 % 82 %

Total Higher Education 48.72 % 52.39 % 53 % 50.80 % 57 %

Women 54.23 % 58.71 % 56.34 %

Men 38.17 % 41.10 % 43.82 %

32 This indicator has previously been known as “Attendance”. Due to risk of misinterpretation it has been decided to rename it “Enrolment”. 33 These results have changed as a consequence of the method of calculation as described in Annex 5: Indicator Documentation Sheets

47

EU11c34: Transition rate to education 2 years after dropout



Total Higher Education 47.4 % 57.4 % 44.8 %

Women 57/106 82/144 76/163

Men 35/88 58/100 57/134


In the process of achieving the targets for number of graduates, the below activities were carried out in

2018.

3.3.6.1 Quality Assurance of Higher Education

Due to internationalisation, it has become necessary for Greenland to implement a procedure for quality

development in its higher education system, in order to live up to international standards. Because of the

close connection to the European labour market, and because Europe has an internationally recognised

quality assurance system, the decision has been made to work towards the European certification ESG-

2015. The implementation is expected to take as much as a decade, since the process includes

development of a quality culture and multiple cycles of review to be undertaken in order to fulfil the

European standards.


The Ministry of Education has initiated the process on quality development and assurance of the higher

education following the European standards. In 2016, seminars on international experience with quality

work were held for the teaching staff and other stakeholders. In 2017, the Ministry of Education appointed

a working group, whose task will be to develop an action plan for the development of the process and

secure that all stakeholders are included. The Ministry of Education has also continued the series of

seminars regarding content and goals for quality assurance, targeting staff and students in higher education

institutions in Greenland.

In 2018, the working group for establishing a system for quality assurance in Greenland has been discussing

and developing proposals for further action during a series of 5–6 seminars. This includes an organisational

model and the development of a national quality framework. Furthermore, based on inspiration from

34 2015 and 2016 are not directly comparable, as Statistics Greenland has revised the method of calculation. Using the new method, figures for previous years have been recalculated.

48

Iceland, the working group has decided to establish a quality council consisting of international experts who

will lead the further development of a framework for quality assurance in higher education.

3.3.6.1 New legislation on higher education

The legislation on higher education was last updated in 2007 and is now outdated due to the development

and new initiatives in the sector. As a result, the Ministry of Education has prepared proposals for updating

existing legislation on the University of Greenland and at the same time unify legislation on higher

education under one Parliament Act.

The proposed new Act on the University of Greenland will regulate the administration of the University of

Greenland and is largely a continuation of existing legislation. The updated version, however, will be limited

to regulating only purpose, administration, and finances. The proposed Act on Higher Education will

continue to regulate the programmes and their content. Furthermore, it will regulate affairs related to

procurement and capacity control, quality assurance, application procedures and requirements, studies

abroad, teachers, student counsellors, and complaint procedures.


The new legislation was discussed by Parliament during the Fall Session 2018. Further discussion is

scheduled to take place during Spring Session 2019.

3.3.6.2 New education programs in the social sector

It is of great importance for the Government to strengthen, expand, and develop the existing education

efforts within the social sector. The Ministry for Social Affairs has therefore, in collaboration with the

Ministry of Education, established education and upskilling activities for employees in municipalities, family

centres, residential institutions, day-care institutions, etc. This focus will also share a close connection to

the needs within the healthcare and labour market sectors.


Parliament Act no. 20, 26 June 2017 on support for children, passed during Parliament’s Spring Session

2017, dictates an increased focus on, for instance, foster care and case management. According to the Act,

children and minors are entitled to a safe upbringing with stable relations and personal networks. The

Government sought to intensify efforts on education and upskilling in 2018, as this entails an increased

demand for case officers and other professionals within the social sector, especially in connection to case

management in municipalities and social pedagogical work. Initiatives within this area aims at securing that:

49

a. residential institutions are better equipped in supporting treatment

b. case officers are properly supported

c. family centres are properly equipped in supporting assessment and treatment

d. municipalities and family centres have the professional capacity to supervise personnel

e. the number of professionals working with case management in municipalities increases.

The initiatives are adjusted regularly to fit the needs of the social sector and the municipalities. The

education programmes included in this initiative in 2018 were as follows:

Decentralised social worker’s programme

Upskilling of social workers

Assistant counsellor programme

Decentralised pedagogue programme – special pedagogics

Diploma programme for pedagogues

Supervisor training

Psychotherapist

50

3.3.7 Cross-Cutting Initiatives

To support the efforts at all levels of the education system, a range of crosscutting initiatives have been and

are carried out. These initiatives are not necessarily directed at specific areas of the education system but

will underpin the effort to increase its overall efficiency. The activities influence indicators such as number

of graduates, transition rates, and completion rates within all education areas.

3.3.7.1 A cohesive and flexible education system

The Ministry of Education wanted to explore the possibility of creating a cohesive and flexible Greenlandic

education system based on a 12-year compulsory schooling; a compulsory schooling serving as a natural

platform for subsequent education in both Greenland and elsewhere in the world.

Based on the experiences of the current overall education system – successes and issues of this system,

relevant data, evidence-based knowledge, involvement of experiences from other parts of the world, and

collaboration with relevant stakeholders – a proposal will be prepared with the goal of a 12-year long

continuous compulsory education system. A flow must be created in the young people's educational course

so that they avoid becoming part of the group of young people outside the education system (16–18 year

olds).

The goal is to ensure that pupils from the settlements can stay in the settlements up to and including their

8th school year, after which they start in newly established classes with pupils from towns in their 9th

school year. All young people, regardless of choice of direction, must therefore initiate a 4-year continuous

educational course. The 11th and 12th school year will take place in campus towns within the educational

direction chosen by the pupil (technology, language, trade, etc.) at an academic level suitable for the

competences of the pupil. This requires raising the academic level already in the first years of primary

school.

Residence Grade

All 1–8

Town/Campus Town 9–10

Campus Town 11–12

In the following model, the terms “primary school” and “secondary school” are used to refer to 1st–8th

grade and 9th–12th grade respectively:

51

The objective is furthermore that new teaching and guidance activities during 9th–12th grade take into

account the competencies and interests of pupils who do not choose to commence one of the current well-

known programmes in the field of vocational education and upper secondary education. These new

activities should be characterised by the pupils acquiring practical and theoretical competencies through

other forms of flexible modular educational courses, enabling the individual to subsequently enrol in

further education – or enter the labour market – after the compulsory 12th grade. The modular and flexible

teaching will include professional and methodical teaching elements from current upper secondary and

vocational education programmes already in the 9th grade.

In addition, the model must ensure that pupils, who wish to start one of the current youth education

programmes after 10th grade, still have the opportunity to do so. Finally, the model should continue to be

linked to further education opportunities in Greenland – as well as correlate with the Nordic school system

in relation to boarding schools, youth-, and higher education.

52


Based on the above, the Government approved a recommendation from the Ministry of Education (dated 3

August 2017) on the establishment of a working group. In 2018, this working group started analysing the

possibilities for establishing a coherent and flexible education system in Greenland. Furthermore, several

project groups consisting of people with direct experience within different fields of education were

appointed. They have delivered their individual recommendations to the working group in 2018.

This analysis will lead to a number of recommendations to be submitted in written form to the Government

at the end of 2019. The legal changes must be ready to be addressed in Parliament in connection with the

Autumn Session 2020 / Spring Session 2021.

The working group has chosen to base its work on the following three documented problem areas of the

current education system.

Problem Area 1: The Quality of the Primary School

The Evaluation Institute's reports from 2015 and 2016 respectively, relate critically to both the primary

school and the Teacher Training Programme. The message is that the primary school has performed poorly

and that the Teacher Training Programme has experienced serious quality issues. In the report, this is

documented by a survey of the correlation between poor results in the level tests at junior level with

similarly poor results in the primary school's final examinations.35 This connection, however, is not unique

to Greenland.

Overall, focus is placed on the lack of quality in the primary school, which has a significant impact on the

transition to and interaction with the subsequent youth education programmes.

Problem Area 2: Transition from Primary School to Youth Education Programmes

In the period from 2013 to 2018, only 10–15 % of a cohort enrolled in youth education immediately after

elementary school. In addition, although 40–45 % went to a continuation school in Greenland or Denmark,

it was only 45 % of the pupils, who enrolled in youth education within a year after elementary school in

2018.

35 Economic Council’s 8th report http://naalakkersuisut.gl/~/media/Nanoq/Files/Attached%20Files/Finans/DK/Oekonomisk%20raad/G%C3%98R%202017%20rapport%20DK.pdf

53

Thus, 57.4 % of the cohort did not progress in the education system within a year of leaving elementary

school. A part of this group remains outside the education system for several years and becomes part of

the so-called youth target group.

The reasons for this may be many and complex, but it indicates that the education and counselling

processes, that are supposed to take place in elementary school, may not be sufficient enough to prepare

the pupils for a smooth transition into youth education.

Problem Area 3: Dropout at Youth Education Programmes.

Approximately 50 % of the students enrolling in high school or vocational education do not complete their

programme. The reasons behind this are also many and very complex. Surveys in the area of both

vocational education and high school show, that some of the reasons may be personal problems, lack of

readiness and motivation, academic difficulties, and social problems. In both high school and vocational

education, the dropout rate is, in part, directly linked to the education itself. For example, dropout at the

high school in Nuuk is in some cases due to inadequacies in previous schooling, causing students to lag

behind from the beginning. 24 % of the total number of students appear to be experiencing major

academic problems.36

Although the content and structure of the youth education matches the prerequisites of approximately 50

% of the students, there seems to be a mismatch between the built-in requirements and expectations at

the high school and vocational education level. The question is, whether the schools use pedagogy,

didactics, and language adequately in order to match the students' skills. For many students, there is also a

gap between the academic level at the end of elementary school and the academic level of the subjects’

content and methodology in youth education.

Project Groups

Based on a number of sub-areas of a future education model, the working group consists of eight project

groups. The groups are composed partly of representatives of relevant stakeholders (managers, teachers,

students, and parent representatives from both elementary schools, high schools, and vocational schools,

representatives from the Teacher Training College, Majoriaq, the Educational Board, etc.) and partly of

representatives from the Ministry of Education.

36 ”Jeg vil ikke give op mere” – Fastholdelse i Den Grønlandske Gymnasieskole, a survey on dropout and retention in Nuuk high school, by Naja Skadhauge Sano, published by GUX Nuuk 2017.

54

The following project groups have been set up: elementary school, the secondary school, high school, VET,

other forms of youth education programmes, e-learning, organisational structure and implementation.

The project groups began their work in connection with a seminar held in Nuuk at the end of January 2018.

It has been followed up by a number of Skype meetings and another seminar in October 2018. The final

proposals of the project groups have submitted to the working group in late 2018. These will now be

incorporated into the continuing work.

Pilot Project

In parallel with the work of the project groups, a pilot project in Nuuk was implemented. The project

included selected teachers and students from the high school, the Iron and Metal School, and one of the

elementary schools. This pilot project was planned during spring 2018 and conducted /evaluated in the

period from August to December 2018. The teaching itself took place over six weeks – followed by an

evaluation involving both students, parents, and teachers.

The purpose of the project was to gain experience with collaboration between teachers from institutions

with different cultures - and knowledge about how students from the elementary school react when they

are taught in an unfamiliar environment and in new subjects.

The evaluation of the pilot project showed that both teachers and students had had a positive experience.

Students used terms such as “nice”, “different”, “fun”, “not boring” and “exciting”. Likewise, the involved

teachers have spoken positively about the cooperation with each other and with the students. However,

some challenges were also pinpointed. Among these were issues related to time and resources and better

preparation in order for two different educational environments to successfully meet.

3.3.7.2 Mapping best practice in elementary school

As part of the work on collecting and communicating relevant data and information to be used in future

efforts towards increasing the overall education level of the Greenlandic population, the Ministry of

Education has decided to conduct larger surveys focusing on specific areas of the education sector. The

surveys are to be conducted by the Sector Strategy Unit and will be based on ideas identified by relevant

stakeholders and the political visions of the Minister for Education.


In 2018, the focal area for such a survey was mapping best practice in elementary schools. The survey is

comprised by two parts. Part one was a benchmark analysis conducted in late 2017, the results of which

55

indicated, which schools might be performing better than expected based on the characteristics of their

individual student group (calculated using variables such as parents educational- and income level, gender

of pupils, and size of student group) and their grade test results (Greenlandic, Danish, and Maths). In the

latter half of 2018, the Sector Strategy Unit conducted part two of the survey, which consists of individual

interviews with principals and teachers of the school with the best grade test results seen in context of

their student group in each municipality:

Kujalleq Municipality: Tasersuup Atuarfia in Qaqortoq

Sermersooq Municipality: Ejnar Mikkelsenila Aluarpia in Ittoqqortoormiit

Qeqqata Municipality: Qinnguata Atuarfia in Kangerlussuaq

Qeqertalik Municipality: Gammeqarfik in Aasiaat

Avannaata Municipality: Prinsesse Margrethe Skolen in Upernavik

While the amount of available data might cause some degree of uncertainty of the benchmark results, visits

at the selected schools did prove that there are indeed some interesting ideas and lessons to be learnt

about their local practices. These lessons and experiences were collected based on interviews with local

informants and will be communicated to relevant stakeholders – including other school principals – in an

article form. The results of both the quantitative analysis and the qualitative interviews will also be included

in future efforts of the Ministry of Education, including the work on creating a cohesive and flexible

education system.

3.3.7.3 Study Grants and Dormitory Reform

The Study Grants and Dormitory Reform will, among other things, include a price adjustment in relation to

both study grants and dormitory rent. The aim is to strengthen the economically weakest part of the

students, recognising that young people, who move from their hometown when starting their education,

often have difficulty finding and maintaining work after school. At the same time, the Government wishes

to improve incentive structures in the study grant system. The students should be encouraged to undertake

and complete an education within the standard time limits. Further, the utilisation of existing dormitory

capacity should be improved. A greater extent of shared rooms and shared facilities between young

residents is foreseen in this context.

Parliament passed a reform of the study grant system in July 2017. The proposal entered into force 1

August 2017 and included:

Interests from the time of admission of student loans

56

50 % repayment of student loans depending on the student's age when completing the study

(up to 26 years for short-cycle higher education and bachelor's degree programmes and 28

years for graduate programmes), as well as on whether the study was completed within the

stipulated time.

From the academic year 2017/18, study grants are paid in advance.


The work with the dormitory reform continued in 2018. It was originally planned to be presented to and

discussed in parliament in 2017, but that has been postponed to 2019 in order to include a proposal for a

Dormitory Act and to make room for in depth discussions with relevant stakeholders.

3.3.7.4 Expansion of dormitories

A development of standardised dormitory project design is needed in order to ensure an adequate

collection of experience and to lower the building costs for certain types of buildings, including design,

material selection, and functionality.

The current stock of dormitory units is approximately 1,800 units. Around 145 units are expected to be

taken out of service within a time horizon of 5 years due to mould and degradation. Furthermore, the

Government has several external rentals – depending on the time of the year, and it would be more cost-

efficient to replace external rentals with Government owned dormitories. The Government appropriations

for external rentals cover approximately 200 dormitory units per year, which is an approximation of current

excess demand.


In 2017, an architect studio in Nuuk conducted a survey on the needs for future dormitories in Nuuk,

Qaqortoq, Sisimiut, Aasiaat and Ilulissat on behalf of the Ministry of Education. The result of the survey is

shown below:

Location Apartment Dormitory Flat share 3-rooms 4-rooms Total

Qaqortoq 45 45 40 130

Nuuk 30 36 184 140 140 530

Sisimut 46 70 92 208

Aasiaat 16 16 16 48

Ilulissat 24 48 55 127

Total 161 106 321 244 211 1043

57

Based on the survey, construction of standard dormitories is divided in to 3 phases stretching over a 10-

year period from 2018–2027.

58

3.4 Impacts

The overall objective of the programme for the sustainable development of Greenland for 2014–2020 is to

contribute to a higher standard of living and quality of life, along with sustainable diversification of the

economy through improved education, skills, and knowledge. The Government therefore seeks to develop

an inclusive and coherent education system from pre-school to higher education.

The Government has formulated objectives from an overall perception that education is a paramount

factor in improving productivity, sustainable economic development, and self-sufficiency both on the

personal level and the national level. It is well known, that education has a direct impact on economic

growth and productivity both personally and on aggregate level. Besides from increased productivity,

education will also enable people currently holding low wage employment or living on public subsidies to

obtain higher wages and permanent employment. While the education level is generally experiencing a

positive development, it is important to note that health and social issues can often pose a barrier for

children’s ability to learn and develop from an early age, and harm their chances of obtaining a qualifying

education. The Government therefore wishes to improve the connection between initiatives in the social-,

health-, and education sector in the future in order to further strengthen the positive development in the

education level in Greenland and subsequently sustainable development of society as a whole.

It is of vital importance that the revenue base of the Government is expanded and diversified. This demands

initiatives within the mineral resource sector, the tourism sector, and the fisheries sector, and it underlines

the necessity to improve the productivity of the workforce through education. An increased level of skills and

knowledge will give developing sectors a good starting point concerning availability of a well-qualified labour

force. Furthermore, local labour will be able to fill positions in the developing industries, which will increase

job insertion, value added within Greenland, and ensure the inclusiveness of growth created in the sectors.

For this reason, the importance of the inclusiveness of the education system is emphasised by the

Government. Inclusive growth must necessarily be rooted in an inclusive education system, as education gives

people the means to contribute to, and have a share in, the growth. A higher level of education is also

expected to create and stimulate entrepreneurship and innovation, which can affect job creation, new

exports, and GDP. A higher level of education is expected to diversify the industry, and the Greenland

economy is still very much depending on the fisheries sector, as shown in indicator EU17.

Education is a central parameter in achieving the long-term goals of the Government; both in terms of

providing the population with the necessary means to take up positions as skilled labour, and further to

secure the administrative and institutional capacity to provide counselling and to implement the

administrative and practical consequences of reforms. Furthermore, a well-qualified workforce will

59

decrease dependency on recruitment of foreign labour by private businesses and public institutions. As

seen below in indicator EU14, the education level has had a slow but steady increase, and the results for

the midterm target set for 2017 has already been met.

The impacts of the education effort are measured by the following indicators:

Education impacts

EU14: Education level: Share of 35 year olds with a qualifying education37

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Midterm target 2017

Target 2020


30.1 % 32.2 % 31.0 % 30.7 % 31.7 % 33.2 %

Short cycle 5.9 % 4.3 % 5.1 % 3.4 % 4.4 % 3.4 %

Bachelor 9.0 % 10.7 % 12.3 % 11.8 % 8.7 % 10.9 %

Master + PhD 5.2 % 6.0 % 4.6 % 4.9 % 5.4 % 4.4 %

Total 50.9% 54.2 % 54.1 % 51.8 % 51.3 % 52.6 % 51 % 53 %

Note: Data lag one year

EU15: Job insertion

2012 2013 2015 2016 2017


80.8 % 85.8 % 82.4 % 83.5 % 82.4 %

Higher education 98.4 % 93.2 % 95.9 % 95.6 % 93.7 %

Total 85.6 % 87.8 % 86.0 % 87.3 % 85.9 %


Economic impacts

EU16: Percentage of trade balance in GDP

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Total -14.6 % -15.5 % -10.8 % -10.3 % -2.7 % -5.3 %


EU17: Percentage of the fisheries sector in total exports

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Total 86.4 % 76.4 % 87.7 % 86.6 % 88.6 % 95.2 % 92.4 %

Note: Change in method of calculation so the indicator is not reported one year lagged anymore

37 This number is very sensitive to migration patterns and random fluctuations.

60

Institutional capacity impacts

EU18: Long-term residents among civil servants

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Total 87.2 % 87.8 % 88.0 % 87.7 % 87.6 % 93.4 %


61

Annex 1: Education budget and expenditure 2018

Table 1: Education budget and expenditure 2017; 1000 EUR

FA2018

Expenditure 2018

Education Area Government Municipalities Total Government Municipalities Total

Pre-school - 43,572 43,572 - 45,060 45,060

Elementary 12,806 101,806 114,611 14,285 107,536 121,822

High School 19,338 - 19,338 20,584 - 20,584

Vocational education and training 24,991 - 24,991 25,682 - 25,682

Higher education 20,592 - 20,592 19,222 - 19,222

Skills and Competence courses 23,411 7,973 31,384 20,723 20,739 41,462

Student grants incl. joint expenses 50,499 - 50,499 44,520 2,191 46,711

Construction and renovation - 7,661 7,661 - 11,744 11,744

Reserve 4,360 - 4,360 - - -

Initiatives Education Plan II 30,797 - 30,797 19,261 - 19,261

- hereof construction and renovation* 19,200 - 19,200 7,794 - 7,794

186,793 161,011 347,804 164,277 187,270 351,547

Table 2: Total expenditure on education as a % of total expenditure 2017; 1000 EUR

FA2018 Expenditure 2018

Government Municipalities Total Government Municipalities Total

Total expenditures 732,075 581,448 1,313,523 749,739 655,391 1,405,130

Education as a % of total expenditures 25.52 % 27.69 % 26.48 % 21.91 % 28.57 % 25.02 %

*Final construction cost for 2017 is not yet available.

62

Annex 2: Education Plan II, budget 2018

Table 3: Education Plan II MTEF, EUR million

FA 2018

Pre-school 0.37

Expansion of day-care capacity 0.00

Strategy and Action Plan for professionals in day-care institutions 0.00

The Day-care sector 0.00

Holistic early effort 0.37

Elementary school 12.07

A better basis for youth education 0.07

IT in elementary schools 0.00

Revision of legislation 0.00

Quality and school development 0.00

Education and upskilling 0.00

Improving language training 0.00

Special education and inclusion 0.00

Publishing strategy 0.00

Construction and renovation 12.00

Young people outside the education system 2.82

Stays at continuation school 2.35

Stays at folk high school 0.41

A smoother transition from elementary school 0.00

High school 1.23

The high school reform 0.97

eGUX 0.12

GUX for adults 0.00

GUX-S 0.14

Vocational education and training 0.47

More apprenticeships 0.07

Future structure of vocational educations 0.07

Short-cycle Vocational Education and Training Programmes 0.07

Competence gab assessment and upgrading of skills 0.00

Increased activity at competence courses (PKU) 0.27

Higher education 2.41

Quality assurance of higher educations 0.03

New legislation on higher education 0.00

Artek Vision 125 0.00

Greenland Institute of Natural Resources 0.23

Education effort in the social sector 2.16

Cross-cutting Initiatives 11.43

A cohesive and flexible education system 0.07

Mapping best practice in elementary schools 0.03

National student guidance 2.39

Increased internet bandwidth at the school network "ATTAT" 1.73

New ICT-services for the schools 0.00

Internet portal for teaching "Iserasuaat" 0.00

Study grant and dormitory reform 0.00

Construction of education facilities 0.00

Expansion of dormitories 7.20

Total 30.80

63

Annex 3: The Greenland Education Programme II

Since 2006, the Greenland Education Programme has been the central focal point of the education policy.

The programme, which was adopted by Parliament in March 2006, is comprised of two phases, phase I

running from 2006 to 2013 and phase II from 2014 to 2024. The programme is part of a long-term strategy

to contribute to Greenland's development into a more self-sustaining economy, in which a well-educated

and well-trained population is paramount. The Greenland Education Programme II has been expanded to

accommodate the 10-year planning horizon of the Government and will thus run from 2014 to 2024. The

Greenland Education Programme II consists of the Education Strategy 2014 and the Education Plan II.

The key lessons learnt during the first phase of the Greenland Education Programme boils down to three

key points:

(1) involvement of all stakeholders – in all phases of the reforms – is key to the successful

implementation of the reforms

(2) close monitoring of leading indicators during implementation is crucial to risk management

(3) a broader holistic approach to educational reforms is necessary to obtain a tangible impact on the

general educational level of the population, and to achieve the overall goal of developing a

sustainable society, in accordance with the fundamental values stated by the Government.

The Greenland Education Programme II therefore represents a more holistic approach based on the

experience gained through the first phase of the programme. Increased focus will be on the pre-school and

elementary school system and on youth educations, particularly vocational education and training. Focus

will also be on the transition from elementary school to youth education and on increased use of ICT in the

education system.

The pre-school and elementary school, which are administratively placed under the jurisdiction of the

municipalities, are thus included as focal areas of the programme. The Government has committed

resources to initiatives within these areas, but the responsibility of the development of these parts of the

education system remains with the municipalities. For this reason, most of the initiatives in these areas will

be implemented within municipal auspices and the municipal budgets. The Government will facilitate

initiatives in these areas through changes in legislation and framework conditions, policy dialogue, teacher

training, and facilities.

The links and transitions between the different levels within the system are acknowledged as important to

the overall performance of the system. A substantial part of the young people who drop out of the

64

education system do not drop out during a formal education but during transition periods in the system.

Particularly, many young people do not enrol in any further education after completing elementary school.

For this reason, increased focus on the transition periods is important to secure the coherence and

inclusiveness of the system.

The preparation of the Greenland Education Programme II involved stakeholders across the country,

including boards and committees on the educational institutions as well as student organisations, non-

coalition political parties, labour- and employer unions, and other relevant stakeholders. These were

included in the preparatory workshops leading up to the final formulation of the programme.

In charge of implementing the Greenland Education Programme is the Ministry of Education in close

collaboration with other ministries and stakeholders. The Ministry of Finance is involved in all the stages of

programme implementation and close links and mechanisms are already in place to ensure coordination

with all the implementing government departments from the present programme period.

Objectives and results

The following specific objectives will be pursued in the Greenland Education Programme II:

1. Reduced inequality in education by ensuring a well-functioning pre-school and elementary school

system, no matter where the children live. The elementary school system shall provide elementary

school graduates with the skills needed for them to pursue further education;

2. Increased quality of the education system with special emphasis on pre-school and elementary

school and increased share of qualified personnel in the system;

3. Increased efficiency in the education system through reduced dropout between stages in the

system, increased completion in the post-elementary education system and a decrease in the time

spent in the education system before graduation.

Under the three specific objectives, the following results are expected:

Specific Objective 1:

a) Increased share of children attending pre-school resulting from providing pre-school facilities and

personnel to a larger part of the population.

b) Increased transition rate to further education as more pupils have access to elementary school of

high quality.

c) Improved literacy rate after elementary school.

d) Decreased share of young people (16–18 years) outside the education system.

65

e) In the medium term, increased completion in post elementary education as a result of better

elementary education to a larger part of the population.


a) To provide a better quality in the pre-school system through increased share of qualified personnel

in the system.

b) Increased share of qualified teachers in the elementary schools.

c) Improved literacy after elementary school.

d) Increased transition rate from elementary school to further education.

e) Decreased share of young people (16–18 years) outside the education system.


a) Increased transition rate from elementary school to further education.

b) Increased transition rate from high school to further education.

c) Decreased share of young adults (16–18 years) outside the education system.

d) Decreased age at completion of post elementary education.

e) Increased completion at all levels of post-elementary education.

f) Decreased excess study time beyond standard time limits at higher educations

g) Increased completion rate at higher educations.

h) Increased number of graduates from higher educations.

i) Increased supply of apprenticeship places through school apprenticeships, incentives to businesses

and introductory courses at vocational education and training.

Performance Monitoring

In order to measure the results and outcomes of the Greenland Education Programme II, a performance

assessment framework has been developed. The performance assessment framework builds on lessons

learnt under Greenland Education Programme I and foresees modifications where indicators have proven

inexpedient and/or needed to be adjusted to suit the objectives of the Greenland Education Programme II.

The main data sources of the performance data for the Greenland Education Programme II are Statistics

Greenland and the Finance Act. The education statistics are normally provided mid-March each year by

Statistics Greenland. The remaining data regarding education is provided by the Ministry of Education and

its subordinate institutions as well as consultants working on fixed contracts for updates. As the Finance Act

is before the start of the fiscal year, these figures are also available from Q1. The accounts from the

66

previous year are expected to be released in the beginning of March. A complete overview of the data

sources, definitions, and counting dates can be found in Annex 5.

67

Annex 4: The Greenlandic Education System

Population

As per 1 January 2019, 55,992 inhabitants were living in Greenland. The largest part of the population (33

%), 18,221 inhabitants is living in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, situated in Sermersooq Municipality. In

the main towns of the other municipalities, the number of inhabitants are 6,233 in Sisimiut (Qeqqata

Municipality), 4,873 in Ilulissat (Avannaata Municipality), 3,154 in Qaqortoq (Kujalleq Municipality), and

3,338 in Aasiaat (Qeqertalik Municipality). The rest of the population is scattered around the coast, living in

smaller towns and settlements.

Mobility in Greenland is hampered because of the limited infrastructure. There are no road connections

between the towns, and transport is therefore limited to air and sea transport.

An Overview of the Education System

Greenland’s formal education system consists of:

• Elementary school

• Vocational Education and Training school

• High School

• Higher Education

In addition, the following institutions also provide education complementing the formal education system:

• Pre-school

• Continuation school

• Majoriaq (counselling and preparatory courses)

In many ways, the formal education system resembles that of Denmark (and many other western

countries), and is financed through general taxes like in the Nordic welfare states.

Postgraduate, supplementary training, and in-service training for adults (etc.) can be delivered at different

levels and by different educational institutions – particularly the vocational education and training schools.

The linkages between the different parts of the education system are illustrated in Figure 1: Overview of

the education system.

68

Figure 1: Overview of the education system

Educations not offered at Greenlandic education institutions can be attained in foreign countries with study

grants from Greenland. Greenlanders have free access to education in all the Nordic countries. However, it

is most common for Greenlanders studying abroad to study in Denmark.

The Pre-school

The pre-school covers all institutions providing pedagogical offers targeting children age 0–6 years until the

child enrols in elementary school. Early childhood care refers to the age group from 0 to 2 years, and day-

care institutions refer to the age group from 3 to 6 years. Day care for children with special needs is also

included. The majority of the pre-school institutions are public institutions.

69

The provision of pre-school services is the responsibility of the municipalities. However, it is the

responsibility of the Government to provide stewardship in terms of research and development, securing

an adequate supply of qualified pedagogues, providing monitoring and evaluation tools, develop guidelines

to the daily work, providing the regulatory framework, and overseeing that the pre-school institutions’

performances are in compliance with the guidelines.

Elementary School

Elementary School starts the year a child turns 6 years old and is compulsory until the 10th grade. The

school is divided into three stages:

• Primary stage from year 1–3.

• Intermediate stage from year 4–7.

• Secondary stage from year 8–10.

Generally, English is taught from the Grade 4 in elementary school, whereas Greenlandic and Danish is

taught from the Grade 1. However, in the municipalities of Qeqqata and Sermersooq English is taught from

Grade 1.

The provision of elementary schooling is also a municipal responsibility. The administrative and educational

management of each municipality's school system is governed locally by each municipality. At each school,

there are school boards that, within the targets and framework set by the municipal councils, lay down

principles for the schools’ activities. However, it is the Parliament of Greenland that establishes the legal

framework for public school, while further provisions are set by the Government. Furthermore, it is the

Government’s responsibility to provide stewardship in terms of research and development, securing an

adequate supply of qualified teachers, providing monitoring and evaluation tools, develop guidelines to the

daily work, providing the regulatory framework, and overseeing that the schools’ performances are in

compliance with the guidelines. The Agency for Education plays a key role in this respect. In addition, the

Government provides school buildings.

Elementary schools are public and found in towns and larger settlements. In smaller settlements, the

children move to the nearest town to attend the higher grades. Besides the public schools, there is a

private school in Nuuk that opened in the school year 2006/07.

Continuation Schools in Greenland

The continuation school should be seen as an extra school year, where the pupils have the opportunity to

improving their examination results before applying for high schools, vocational education and training

70

schools etc. Teaching in the Greenlandic continuation schools is divided into mandatory courses and

optional courses. Mandatory courses are Greenlandic, Danish, English, and Mathematics, and the aim is to

attain the elementary school diploma in these subjects. The optional courses are creative subjects like

media, IT, outdoor life, music, and sports.

The model has been imported from the Danish school system where continuation schools have been a part

of the educational framework for more than 150 years. The continuation school is a boarding school

environment. Usually, 2–4 pupils live in the same room at the schools and chores, such as cleaning and

kitchen assistance, are a part of the daily life at the schools. This way, the pupils are a part of a social

community and learn how to live away from home, which can help them mature and develop their

personality.

Parents pay a weekly fee for their children to attend a continuation school, depending on their household

income.

Since 2011, Greenland has two permanent continuation schools: Villads Villadsen’s Continuation School in

Qasigiannguit admits 80 pupils, and the continuation school in Maniitsoq admits 70 pupils. In addition,

Greenlandic pupils can attend continuation schools in Denmark.

High Schools

The high school system has eight different education profiles targeting different strategic areas. The

profiles are: Technical-natural science, natural science, mercantile, language and humanities, health

science, social science, creativity and general. The duration of the high school programme is three years.

High school education is offered at four schools located in Nuuk, Aasiaat, Sisimiut, and Qaqortoq.

The high schools provide study preparatory education.

The administrative responsibility of the high schools lies with the Government.

Vocational Education and Training

A vocational education is a qualifying education that gives the individual direct access to skilled

employment in the labour market.

The vocational educations are structured as work-linked training, where students alternate between an

apprenticeship at a company or school apprenticeship and teaching at the vocational college. Students

acquire practical skills during their apprenticeship and theoretical and practical skills in vocational college.

71

Vocational colleges provide education in areas such as building and construction, iron and metal, food

production and catering, business and trade, health care and social work, and traditional areas such as

sheep-farming, hunting and fishing, and maritime education.

Vocational education and training at the main vocational schools is the responsibility of the vocational

colleges since 1 January 2011, when they became public private institutions ruled by boards of directors.

The vocational colleges are specialised so that the vocational educations, within a specific area, mainly

takes place at only one vocational education and training school. Some of the schools also provide high

school education and even higher education programmes.

Vocational education and training is offered at eight schools in Greenland:

• Tech College Greenland

o The Technical College (Nuuk)

o Building- and Construction College (Sisimiut)

o Greenland School of Minerals and Petroleum (Sisimiut)

• Business College Greenland (Nuuk + Qaqortoq)

• The Food College INUILI (Narsaq)

o The School for Agriculture (Qaqortoq)

• Greenland Maritime Center (Nuuk)

o Skipper’s School (Paamiut)

• College of Social Education (Ilulissat)

• Design School (Sisimiut)

• School for Health Educations (Nuuk)

• Campus Kujalleq (Qaqortoq)

Higher Education

In terms of higher education, Greenland provides educational programmes within four levels at six schools:

1. Short-cycle tertiary education (2–3 years)

2. Bachelor’s (professional/academic)(3–4½ years)

3. Master’s (2 years)

4. Doctoral

Schools of Higher Education:

- Ilisimatusarfik – University of Greenland(Nuuk)

72

The University of Greenland has four institutes:

• Institute of Learning

• Institute of Nursing & Health Science

• Institute of Social Science, Economics & Journalism

• Institute of Culture, Language & History

- The College of Social Education (Ilulissat)

- Tech College Greenland – ARTEK in cooperation with the Technical University of Denmark (DTU)

- Campus Kujalleq (Qaqortoq)

- Business College Greenland (Nuuk + Qaqortoq)

- The Food College INUILI (Narsaq)

An important part of research in Greenland is the PhD studies, and a number of PhD grants are advertised

each year. All the PhD projects must be related to Greenland and to Greenlandic issues, but can be carried

out in cooperation with (for instance) Danish universities.

Student grant system

After elementary school, all formal education is supported by a student grant available to all students. The

vocational education and training students normally receive pay from their employers/apprenticeship

places. The employers will, in this case, be subsidised by the Government through the student grant

system. At vocational education and training schools, only students at social and health educations and

school apprenticeships are entitled to receive student grants, as they do not receive a salary during their

apprenticeship. Furthermore, students from abroad are entitled to affordable housing in dormitories.

The study grant system is very similar to the Danish system. The monthly rate is DKK 4,700/EUR 630 for

students studying in Greenland. Students with children receive a supplement per child (DKK 1,000/EUR

135), and students at higher education are entitled to supplementary grants for books (DKK 1,100/EUR 148

per semester). There are currently no income limits in the Greenlandic study grant system.

Student grants for preparatory educations are as such unlimited until the student receives a final exam

diploma.

Student grants for higher education are granted through clips according to the standard time limit of the

study. One month is equal to one clip. Students at higher education are entitled to receive student grants

for 82 months equal to 82 clips. For each study, it is possible to obtain study grants for one additional year,

73

if it is necessary to complete the study. Bachelor- and master’s degrees are in this context, considered two

separate studies.

Students at higher education are entitled to study loans of maximum of 6,000 DKK/EUR 806 per semester,

and a one-off loan during an education of DKK 10,000/EUR 1,343.

As of 1 January 2013, Greenlandic students studying in Denmark receive Danish student grants. The

Greenlandic students will be subject to the same study grant rules that apply to Danish students.

Student travels are paid by the Government for the initial travel between a student’s hometown and the

town of the educational institution both within and outside Greenland. In this connection, a free annual

return journey to the student’s hometown is also offered.

Majoriaq

Majoriaq centres currently form the link between elementary school and further education and the labour

market, providing counselling and education for both the youth and older age groups of the population.

The vision is that the Majoriaq centres should be working according to the “one-door-principle”, meaning

that they take care of labour market issues as well as educational guidance. Majoriaq centres are the

responsibility of the municipalities.

There are 18 Majoriaq centres within Greenland's four municipalities. These centres provide counselling

and preparatory courses and support the development of individual action plans.

AEU/FA courses

Recognised vocational education (the so-called AEU courses) is established at Majoriaq and the overall aim

is to enable young people to be admitted to a vocational college. These preparatory courses are

concentrated on qualifying the pupils in four main topics: Greenlandic, Danish, English, and Mathematics.

From August 2017, however, AEU is no longer offered at Majoriaq. The General Certificate of Secondary

Education (FA) can also be obtained through Majoriaq. Students can improve some of the grades from

elementary school or take the exam in all subjects. The level qualifies for admission at high schools.

Up-skilling

There are two pools of funds used for courses and further education for both skilled and unskilled workers:

Competency development courses (PKU) and labour market courses (AMA).

74

The competency development (PKU) funds are used for tailor-made professional courses supplied by some

of the regional schools primarily for unskilled workers in declining businesses or for workers in need of

upgrading in businesses where growth is expected. The Government covers all expenses, including salary,

for the participants.

Vocational training for the labour market (the so-called AMA-courses) targets skilled and unskilled,

employed and unemployed adults. These courses should be part of an individual action plan developed in

collaboration with Majoriaq or be part of a competence improvement course (a module).

75

Annex 5: Indicator Documentation Sheets

Indicator EU1: Share of children in pre-school

Description

Measurement unit %

Definition Share of children in the age group 0–5 in public day-care

Composition

Decomposition Municipalities, Town/settlement

Development and quality

Source Municipal database

Responsible for collection and/or calculation

Statistics Greenland

Method of calculation Children 0–5 years old in pre-school to all children 0–5 years old

Periodicity of measurement 1st of January

Delivery date April

Baseline year 2013

Comments

Known limits and bias Private day care and private family day care are not included. This will lead to underrepresentation in the settlements in particular

Improvement in progress No

Indicator EU2 Share of professionals

Description

Measurement unit %

Definition Share of professional child care workers and teachers in pre-school and elementary school

Composition EU2a: Share of professionals in Pre-school EU2b: Share of professionals in Elementary school

Decomposition Municipalities, Town/Settlement


Source The payroll for the Government and the municipalities Municipalities October reporting


EU2a: Statistics Greenland + EPINION EU2b: The Agency for Education

Method of calculation Professionals in pre-school (pedagogues and other pedagogic educated) and elementary school (qualified teachers and pre-school teachers) to all child care workers and teachers

Periodicity of measurement October

Delivery date October

Baseline year EU2a: 2014; EU2b: 2013

Comments

Known limits and bias

Improvement in progress

76

Indicator EU3: 7th grade test

Description

Measurement unit % correct answers

Definition Median in solution confidence in 7th grade (Løsningssikkerhed)

Composition

Decomposition Municipalities, Gender


Source Grade database


Agency for Education

Method of calculation Number of correct answers to number of test questions answered

Periodicity of measurement May

Delivery date August

Baseline year 2013

Comments

Known limits and bias -

Improvement in progress Indicator may be developed to represent 10th grade final exam rather than 7th grade test. At present, grades from 10th grade exams follow a normal distribution and are thus not comparable from year to year.

Indicator EU4: Transition rate 1 year after elementary school

Description

Measurement unit %

Definition Share of students completing elementary school that are enrolled, or have been enrolled, in youth education (high school or VET) one year after graduation

Composition -

Decomposition Municipalities, Gender, ISCED 24+25+34+35


Source Grade database + Study grant database



Method of calculation Number of elementary school leavers enrolled in high school or VET during the first year after elementary school to all elementary school leavers

Periodicity of measurement 1st of July 200x – 30th of September 200x+1

Delivery date March

Baseline year 2013

Comments

Known limits and bias Pupils leaving elementary school with no exam grades are currently not included in the database.

Improvement in progress Including school leavers with no exam grades will give a break in the data series.

77

Indicator EU5: Share of age group outside education system

Description

Measurement unit %

Definition Share of 16–18 year olds outside the education system

Composition -

Decomposition Gender


Source Population statistics + Study grant database + Continuation school database



Method of calculation 1 - Number of students aged 16–18 active at a youth education or continuation school to population in GL age 16–18 and active students abroad age 16–18

Periodicity of measurement 31st of December

Delivery date March

Baseline year 2013

Comments


Improvement in progress From now on Statistics Greenland will make the calculation based on linking register data (personal identification number) and not cohort numbers. A redefinition of the indicator might occur as a result of the project of establishing a youth database.

Indicator EU6: Number of apprenticeships

Description

Measurement unit Number

Definition Apprenticeships in companies receiving salary subsidy

Composition EU6a apprenticeships

EU6b apprenticeships for adults

Decomposition -


Source MR register, subsidies for companies, Study grant database

Responsible for collection Ministry of Education

Method of calculation Number of persons that companies are receiving positive salary subsidies for and number of persons in apprenticeships for adults (code 70)

Periodicity of measurement September (regulations in October – December )

Delivery date March

Baseline year 2013

Comments

Known limits and bias Apprenticeships in public sector within, for example, social and health care are not included, as they receive study grants instead of a salary. They are thus not included in the database. School apprenticeships are not included.

Improvement in progress A method for assessing number of school apprenticeships is under development

78

Indicator EU7: Enrolment

Description


Definition Number of active students

Composition EU7a: Number of students in High School EU7b: Number of students in Vocational education and training EU7c: Number of students in Higher Education

Decomposition Greenland/abroad; Gender; Higher education: short cycle, bachelor and master students


Source Study grant database



Method of calculation Number of active students

Periodicity of measurement 31st of December

Delivery date March

Baseline year 2013

Comments

Known limits and bias Enrolment is dependent on the date of measurement and thus not a constant yearly value

Improvement in progress -

Indicator EU8: Number of completions

Description


Definition Graduations within the last year

Composition EU8a: Number of graduates in High School EU8b: Number of graduates in Vocational education and training EU8c: Number of graduates in Higher Education

Decomposition Greenland/abroad; Gender; Higher education: short cycle, bachelor and master students





Method of calculation Number of students completing post-elementary education

Periodicity of measurement Finance year

Delivery date March

Baseline year 2013

Comments



79

Indicator EU9: Completion rate

Description

Measurement unit %

Definition The share of a yearly cohort of entrants who complete, or is expected to complete, the education they started in a certain counting year

Composition EU9a: Completion rate in High School EU9b: Completion rate in Vocational education and training EU9c: Completion rate in Higher Education

Decomposition Gender; Higher education: short cycle, bachelor and master students




Epinion

Method of calculation Estimating completion rate: enrolled students multiplied with transition rates between study years for older students. For methodology see PROJECT N° 2011/280241: Student Tracking and Drop-out


Delivery date March

Baseline year 2013

Comments

Known limits and bias The completion rate is a probability and will change each year as long as it covers students active in the education system. For earlier cohorts (where enrolled students in that year/cohort have all either dropped out or graduated) the rate is constant.


Indicator EU10: Transition rate in education 2 years after completion

Description

Measurement unit %

Definition Share of high school graduates enrolled in education 2 years after graduation. (ISCED 2011: 3.5, 4, 5, 6)

Composition -




Responsible for collection Statistics Greenland

Method of calculation Number of high school graduates enrolled in education to total number of high school graduates

Periodicity of measurement Education status: 30. September 20xx+2; Graduation: finance year 20xx

Delivery date March

Baseline year 2013

Comments

Known limits and bias The limited number of graduates from high school makes the indicator very vulnerable to even small changes in real numbers


80

Indicator EU11: Transition rate in education 2 years after dropout

Description

Measurement unit %

Definition Share of drop-outs that are enrolled or have been enrolled in education 24 months after interrupting their studies. Dropout is defined as not being active at the same education for 15 months.

Composition EU11a: Transition rate in High School EU11b: Transition rate in Vocational education and training EU11c: Transition rate in Higher Education






Method of calculation Number of drop-outs enrolled or have been enrolled in education 24 months after interrupting their studies to total number of drop-outs

Periodicity of measurement Dropout: Finance year. Been enrolled in education: 2 years after drop-out date

Delivery date March

Baseline year 2013

Comments

Known limits and bias The total share of reenrolments includes a number of illogical steps, which may cause the overall result to be inaccurate.


Indicator EU11a2: Transition rate in education 2 years after dropout (GUX to VET)

Description

Measurement unit %

Definition Share of drop-outs that are enrolled or have been enrolled in vocational education and training 24 months after interrupting their high school studies. Dropout is defined as not being active at the same education for 15 months.

Composition Transition rate from High School to VET






Method of calculation Number of drop-outs enrolled or have been enrolled in education 24 months after interrupting their studies to total number of drop-outs

Periodicity of measurement Dropout: Finance year. Been enrolled in education: 2 years after drop-out date

Delivery date March

Baseline year 2013

Comments

Known limits and bias The total share of reenrolments includes a number of illogical steps, which may cause the overall result to be inaccurate.

81


Indicator EU12: Administrative staff completing training

Description

Measurement unit Participant days

Definition One participant day is defined as one person participating in one day of training

Composition -

Decomposition -


Source Courses organised through Office for Human Resource Development

Responsible for collection and/calculation

Office for Human Resource Development

Method of calculation Participants in a given course times the duration of the course in days. Sum of participant days over all courses organised through the Office for Human Resource Development.

Periodicity of measurement Finance Year

Delivery date January

Baseline year 2014

Comments

Known limits and bias The indicator only includes training of administrative staff organised through the Office for Human Resource Development in the Government. Decentralised training organised or contracted by the individual units of the Government is not included. Furthermore, training of administrative staff in the municipalities is not included. The indicator therefore systematically underestimates the actual up-skilling of administrative staff.

The indicator baseline will not be established before the end of the finance year 2014, as registration did not take place prior to 2014.

Improvement in progress The indicator will be developed to give a more accurate estimate of the up-skilling effort.

Indicator EU13: Expenditure on education as percentage of total public expenditure

Description

Measurement unit %

Definition Expenditure on education (at national and municipal level combined) as percentage of total public expenditure

Composition -

Decomposition Government/Municipalities


Source Annual national accounts


Ministry of Education

Method of calculation Education expenditure to total expenditure


Delivery date N/A, see comments

Baseline year 2013

Comments

82


Improvement in progress The distribution of public expenditure between the Government and the municipalities in the municipal charts of accounts is at present being clarified. This clarification might lead to changes of the baseline value. Any changes to the value will be duly explained by the Government.

Indicator EU14: Education level: 35 year olds with a qualifying education

Description

Measurement unit %

Definition Share of population aged 35 with a qualifying education. Qualifying education = ISCED 2011 no. 3.5 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8

Composition -

Decomposition ISCED 2011 no. 3.5 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8


Source Study grant database + population database



Method of calculation The number of the population aged 35 with a VET or higher education exam to total number of population aged 35

Periodicity of measurement 31th of December

Delivery date December. Data lag one year due to data received from Denmark

Baseline year 2012

Comments

Known limits and bias The education level will fluctuate with migration patterns


Indicator EU15: Job insertion

Description

Measurement unit %

Definition Share of graduates (graduates in further education or living abroad are deducted from the total) in job one year after completion. Only graduates after VET and Higher Education are included

Composition -

Decomposition Graduates: VET, Higher Education


Source Study grant database + income database + population database



Method of calculation Share of graduates in job one year after completion to total number of graduates. Graduates in further education or living abroad are deducted from the total. In job is defined as having a salary corresponding at least 8 hours on the minimum wage in SIK (labour union) for unskilled workers during one month.

Periodicity of measurement Graduates: Finance year 20xx; In job: November 20xx+1; active students: 31/12 20xx+1; Permanent residents: 1/1 20xx+1 and 1/1 20xx+2

Delivery date Data lag one year

Baseline year 2012

Comments

Known limits and bias Graduates abroad are not included in the total number of graduates. These

83

graduates might have a job abroad without this being registered by Statistics Greenland.


Indicator EU16: Percentage of trade balance in GDP

Description

Measurement unit %

Definition Percentage of trade balance in GDP

Composition -

Decomposition -





Method of calculation The trade balance to GDP



Baseline year 2012

Comments



Indicator EU17: Percentage of the fisheries sector in total exports

Description

Measurement unit %

Definition Percentage of the fisheries sector in total exports. Fisheries: SITC rev. 3 code 03 - Fish (not marine mammals), crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic invertebrates, and preparations thereof

Composition -

Decomposition -





Method of calculation Amount of fish export to total export


Delivery date March

Baseline year 2013

Comments



Indicator EU18: Long term residents among civil servants

Description

Measurement unit %

84

Definition Living for 5 years (finance years) in Greenland and having an administrative job (permanent staff) for the Government or the municipalities. See note from Statistics Greenland: En opgørelse over antal ansatte embedsmænd, der er ”long-term residents”, Arbejdsmarked 6. februar 2014

Composition -

Decomposition -


Source Population database and the payroll of the Government and municipalities



Method of calculation Number of employees which are long-term residents (LTR) to total number of employees. LTR is defined at living in Greenland for 5 years. Furthermore, Greenlandic students studying abroad and returning to Greenland will be measured as long-term residents.

Periodicity of measurement Employees in 4th quarter


Baseline year 2012

Comments

Known limits and bias Indicator does not measure capacity and it does not capture employee turnover.


Annex 6: Population projections for Greenland 2018

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Population Projections (All age groups)

0-6 7-16 17-24 25-59 60-69 70+

85

Table 4: Population projection by age groups38

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

0–6 5605 5594 5509 5508 5527 5543 5580 5640 5656 5674 5642

7–16 8141 8019 7784 7642 7635 7587 7665 7547 7518 7456 7431

17–24 7343 7142 7050 6835 6684 6531 6160 5992 5800 5658 5488

25-59 28704 28727 28620 28624 28544 28502 28390 28207 27963 27651 27418

60-69 4224 4341 4460 4609 4776 4984 5273 5597 5809 6108 6342

70+ 2352 2459 2560 2629 2694 2730 2771 2781 2932 3019 3111

Total 56369 56282 55983 55847 55860 55877 55839 55764 55678 55566 55432

38 Source: Population projections from Statistics Greenland

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Population Projections 0-24 years old

0-6 7-16 17-24

86

Annex 7: Summary of “The Primary School of Greenland –

Evaluation 2015”39

This is an evaluation of the school reform launched as a parliamentary regulation in 2002, later changed to

the Primary School Act in 2012. The evaluation assesses, through a variety of points of impact, the extent to

which the law has been implemented in practice and offers reasons in areas it has not been implemented.

Including identifying the themes or issues, the actors in and around the primary school should pay

particular attention to in the further development of the school.

The Relevance, Context and Target Group of the Report

11 years have passed since the new Primary School Act came into force, and the first year group to go

through its entire schooling under the new act has finished, making it an excellent opportunity to evaluate

the reform. At the same time, a persistent problem with weak academic results and the fact that only an

estimated four out of ten students continue education after completing primary school are good reasons to

scrutinise the primary school.

The school reform was subjected to an interim evaluation in 2010 in the form of a conference where all the

key players discussed the school with each other. This report communicates the results of the first

independent, overall assessment of the school reform.

There are many target audiences for the report. As the evaluation looks into both the legislation and the

implementation thereof, including Inerisaavik’s40 role, the administration by the municipalities, the school

management, the school-home cooperation and on the teachers' training and cooperation, the actors at all

these levels are able to retrieve information and assessments that can inspire to improve practice.

Results

This is an evaluation of the Primary School Act – and thereby of the primary school. But the primary school

is not just an expression of what the act says. It is evident in the most general findings of the evaluation,

namely that none of the many interviewed at all levels have been critical of the act. No one suggests that

39 Full report is available in English at http://naalakkersuisut.gl/en/Naalakkersuisut/Departments/Uddannelse-Kultur-Forskning-og-Kirke/Publikationer/Evaluering 40 As of 2016, Inerisaavik is known as the Agency for Education

87

something is inappropriate, limiting or incorrectly conceived. However, when so many shortcomings can be

identified in the practice of the primary school, it is likely not due to the inappropriateness of the act, but

rather that the intentions of the act have not been respected.

The fact that explicit criticism of the act has not been formulated is obviously not an indication of a lack of

weak points that one might ascertain easier when being an outsider than if you yourself are working within

and with the system. At the overall administrative level, it is, for example, striking that municipalities are

very far from lifting the political, strategic and educational role in the primary school imposed on them by

the act. If law and practice must be consistent here, you have to either equip the municipal administrations

or move their tasks, i.e. gather some of them nationally and/or place some of them in the hands of the

schools. Given that this school system has less than 8,000 students in total, it may be a better use of

resources if the responsibility for the overall educational development and strategy is placed under one

roof for the whole country.

Other conclusions:

1. Essentially the school reform has been a completely new approach to teaching. According to the

Primary School Act, education must correspond to the individual student's needs, accommodate

challenges for all students and be organised taking into account the objectives and the teacher and

students must work together to determine the student's action plans. The evaluation shows that

this has not been the dominant way of working within the school. It is a minority of the teachers

who plan their lessons based on the students' action plans. The majority takes a starting point in

the learning objectives, but not as individual objectives of each student – rather, they are used

more traditionally as teaching plans. There are not many attempts at differentiated teaching in the

observed teaching except in its simple form, which consists of each student working with his/her

own math book. Effective Teaching Principles have only been implemented to a limited extent.

They have been introduced as a proposal as how to work specifically based on the clauses of the

Primary School Act regarding the base and organisation of the teaching. Thus, it is important to be

aware that the unsatisfactory academic results, which is the general consensus, delivered by the

primary school, cannot be ascribed as the result of the Effective Teaching Principles or the school

reform as such. The new approaches are simply used insufficiently in order to have any significance.

2. The school reform introduced many new tools for planning and evaluating the teaching – learning

objectives, action plans, evaluation of educational achievements etc. The evaluation shows that

88

these tools have been put into use and have become a part of the work process – for a number of

the teachers. 40 % of the qualified teachers have for instance answered that they have altered their

teaching as a result of the findings of the evaluation of educational achievements. At the same

time, there are also teachers who do not use these results, in some cases due to technical/practical

obstacles. The on-going evaluation of the teaching as required by law is far from commonplace. The

overall impression is that an evaluation system has been built up that can work in practice, but in

most places yet to be systematically and generally widespread. An estimate of approximately one

third of the teachers do not take a systematic approach to evaluating.

3. More than half of the teachers, who gave their take on what the three biggest challenges of the

schools are in the questionnaire, mention the students. Especially in relation to inappropriate and

negative behaviour, lack of motivation, but also with the academic level that is hard to elevate and

social problems brought into the school making it difficult to carry out the teaching. It is clear that

social problems and lack of resources confront the schools with major challenges. Both teachers

and employees within the Pedagogical Psychological Counselling area (PPR) indicate that teachers

lack training when it comes to children with special needs. There is also a need for a clarification of

what the individual teacher should take care of, what the school should take care of and what the

tasks of the social services and PPR are. Teachers must be supported so they are not left in doubt.

But at the same time, the evaluation underlines that school leaders, teachers and policy makers

share a common task of creating appropriate learning environments that can accommodate and

motivate the children at hand. It is important that teachers do not regard children as problematic in

themselves, but acknowledges that even the school contributes to creating the children who cause

problems.

4. Teachers themselves tell that cooperation among the teachers in many places is a challenge. They

often point to lack of cooperation as an explanation of things that are not working properly – the

implementation of Effective Teaching Principles, the transitions between levels, interdisciplinary

teaching, etc. The fact that lessons are cancelled due to the absence of teachers is a problem the

parents are well aware of. It is very much an issue that school management should focus on

improving. To the extent, it is planned absences (e.g. in connection with training), you can use

flexible plans. But when it comes to sick leave, Danish experiences indicate that focusing on this in

itself can reduce absenteeism. In some cases, it may also be associated with poor psychosocial

working environment – which to a high degree relates to cooperation. The leaders have to take the

lead here, but teachers also have a great responsibility for contributing to this project.

89

5. School leaders expressed a fairly high degree of satisfaction with their working conditions, with

management support and with their own skills though many of them work many hours, and several

also suggested that with more routine and experience, they would have more energy to look into

educational management as opposed to today where they are extremely busy with administration.

However, approximately one third of the teachers in the survey are quite critical of their leaders'

ability to communicate, show direction, be inspiring, etc. It is a challenge that leaders have to deal

with. Thus, from the interviews it also appears that some leaders and employees misunderstand

each other. The leaders want the teachers to take responsibility and would like to give them

flexibility and participation in the decision-making, while teachers see it as a lack of leadership and

demand more clarity and direction.

6. Local education authorities in the municipalities function as indicated in the introduction

predominantly as administrative units that handle the economy, employment law and other

formalities. And apparently, they do this very well. The problem is that the Primary School Act has

assigned them a much larger task of working educationally-strategically with the schools. This task

is not handled today. The statutory supervision is also very infrequent. This is hardly ill will or

indifference from any party but a natural consequence of the fact that, at least in three of the

municipalities, only two employees have been assigned to the task. It is obvious that it puts a limit

on how much they can reach beyond the more administrative tasks they – as the area is organised

today – have to undertake.

7. Parents play an important role in the life of the schoolchild, and it is a big issue for the teachers

who feel that parental involvement in their children's schooling in general is problematically low.

65 out of 203 teachers mention it in the survey as one of the three biggest challenges of the school.

At the same time, there are committed parents who are extremely critical of what the school has to

offer their children. The evaluation points to the necessity of a much more clarified reconciliation

of expectations between school, teacher and home. Parent meetings must have a genuine and

meaningful content so that parents will find it worthwhile coming. If they have a negative view of

the school, one must be aware of showing them something positive – not reinforce it by berating

them. Many teachers have good ideas about this, but it should be broadened and made widely

practiced. Inerisaavik has long since produced manuals to support this work, and information

concerning these can with advantage be disseminated.

The Data

The report is based on these data sources:

90

• Questionnaire survey among all school leaders

• Questionnaire survey among all teachers

• Written submissions from school administrations in the four municipalities

• Visits at twelve schools across the country, in towns and villages, including interviews with leaders

and teachers and observations of the teaching.

• Interviews with the school governors in the four municipalities

• Interviews with PPR in the four municipalities

• Interviews with parents in the four municipalities

• Interviews with leaders and teachers from three high schools and two vocational training

programmes.

91

Annex 8: Overall Recommendation and Assessment of “The

Teacher Education Programme – Evaluation of Greenland’s

teacher education programme at Ilinniarfissuaq”41

The teacher education programme at Ilinniarfissuaq at Ilisimatusarfik (Greenland's University) is the largest

higher education in Greenland with an average annual intake of 66 new students over the past six years.

The programme has a long history and is shaped by a college tradition with a focus on general education

and development of the students. Ilisimatusarfik has initiated an evaluation of the teacher education

programme with the establishment of an expert panel and data collection and assessment that highlights

the quality of the education. The evaluation is based on input from many different sources, including a

review from Ilinniarfissuaq, questionnaire surveys among the educators of the programme and newly

graduated teachers, an external assessment of bachelor projects and examination statements, observations

of teaching lessons and the expert panel's visit to the programme with interviews with management,

educators, students, head of teaching practice, school leaders and newly graduated teachers.

The evaluation shows that the education programme currently has a number of serious quality challenges

and does not satisfactorily meet the need for qualified teachers in the primary school. The appointed

expert panel recommends that the university takes the initiative of a comprehensive further development

of the programme towards a modern profession-oriented teacher education with much better link to

practice in primary schools and with the focus on gaining solid academic knowledge, didactic skills and

profession-oriented skills among the students. The nature of the challenges and the great importance of

the teacher education programme for the Greenlandic community mean that comprehensive quality

development should be initiated quickly. The panel believes that it is necessary to do a so-called

turnaround to reverse negative trends and give a new impetus to the programme. The goal is for the

teacher education programme to build an ambitious culture with a sustained effort that all students end up

with strong and relevant skills for the job as a teacher. Only in this way will the teacher education

programme contribute to lifting students in the primary school.

The expert panel strongly recommends that Ilisimatusarfik's management makes it its first priority for a

number of years to elevate the quality of the programme. So far, the teacher education programme has not

benefited from becoming a part of the university, as Ilinniarfissuaq has remained an independent unit in 41 Full report is available in English at http://naalakkersuisut.gl/en/Naalakkersuisut/Departments/Uddannelse-Kultur-Forskning-og-Kirke/Publikationer/Evaluering

92

terms of management, academically and physically. The panel estimates that first of all there is a need for

the university to put a special management focus on the teacher education for a five-year period. During

this period, the management of the education programme and the educators have to find and implement

lasting solutions to the conditions of the programme that currently work poorly and contribute to a low

quality of the education.

The development work must be based on an overall vision for a structured teacher education programme

and can, e.g., address topics such as internal organisation and quality assurance at Ilinniarfissuaq,

internship, didactics, research basing, quality of curricula, feedback and evaluation, admission system,

study environment and culture, etc. The expert panel recommends that the university allocates some extra

funding for the teacher education programme for a certain period of time if it deems necessary with funds

for coordinating and implementing the development work, for example, for reference groups for the

individual sub-projects and the management of the entire work.

In this connection, the expert panel recommends that the many academic resources at the university and

around the teacher education be activated and involved to the maximum extent possible for the benefit of

the students. For example, researchers from the university can teach research and analysis methodology

and supervise in connection with project assignments; Teachers from primary schools can be employed in

shared positions focusing on practical exercises in differentiated teaching, classroom management and

other professional skills; And teachers and others with relevant skills can take part of the ordinary teaching

in main subjects with vacancies highly difficult to occupy. School leaders, primary school teachers and other

stakeholders can also be involved in reference groups to ensure that there is an academic content in the

main subjects that corresponds to the needs of the primary school.

The expert panel also recommends that the teacher education programme initiates an annual conference

for the education programme's stakeholders so that development work on the education can be supported

by input from stakeholders and collaborators.

The expert panel builds its overall recommendations on an analysis and assessment of the competences of

the graduates of the teacher education, the quality of the programme and internship, admissions, the

knowledge base of the programme and finally the management and organisation of the programme. Below

is a summary of the panel's analyses and assessments.

93

Newly Graduated Teachers with Insufficient Competences

The challenges of the teacher education programme are expressed by the fact that many graduates are not

adequately dressed to function as teachers in the primary school. Firstly, too many students do not achieve

a high academic level in their main subjects. The evaluation thus shows that in many major subjects there is

a low grade average at the final examinations and that relatively many students either fail or achieve a low

grade, although there are also students who achieve good grades. In some language subjects, the academic

level seems to be disastrously low. An external assessment of 15 bachelor assignments indicates that the

challenges of giving students a high academic level are greater than what a review of the graduation grades

immediately shows. The grades of the external assessment were generally lower than the grades given at

the exam at the teacher education programme. 7 out of the 15 bachelor assignments were, based on the

written work, to fail if they had been assessed according to the requirements of a Danish teacher

education. It appeared from the external assessment that the students often find it difficult to relate

analytically to a problem and to link theories to pedagogical practice.

Secondly, students do not gain sufficient skills to handle the many different tasks that accompany the

profession as a teacher in the primary school. This picture is drawn by both school leaders and a

questionnaire survey among graduates from the teacher education. Many graduates have not been

adequately equipped for tasks such as managing a class, teaching different types of students,

differentiating teaching, working with Effective Teaching Principles, learning objectives, action plans and

evaluation as well as participating in the school-home collaboration.

Thirdly, the newly graduated teachers from Ilinniarfissuaq often come with combinations of main subjects

that do not correspond to the needs of the primary schools. Too many have chosen Greenlandic with a

practical or creative subject, and the number of graduates in both small and large subjects varies

considerably from year to year.

Teaching at too Low a Level and with too Little Didactic Content

The teacher education, as described in the curriculum, has a sound structure with three main subjects and

integration of didactics in the main subjects. The content descriptions of the subjects seem reasonable,

although the descriptions of the individual subjects have not been completed, and the objectives of the

subjects are not always formulated as learning objectives. An external assessment of the examination

94

statements and observations of teaching lessons, however, indicates that the requirements for the

academic content of the curriculum are not always met in the teaching.

The teaching in the main subjects has a very varied didactic content, and the observations of the teaching

indicate that the students in most subjects are not presented with specific teaching methods that they can

use in primary school. The students are thus poorly helped to translate theoretical teaching into concrete

teaching practices. The teaching often also seems to aim at the students being able to understand and to

reproduce the presented theory, rather than to work critically with the usefulness of theory in primary

school teaching. However, there is also exemplary teaching at the teacher education programme, which

succeeds in all these things.

A wide range of professional skills that the students will need as newly graduated teachers is not practiced

at the teacher-training programme. Interviews with students, teachers and school leaders as well as the

questionnaire survey among newly graduated teachers clearly show that the teaching has a very small

focus on topics such as differentiated teaching, classroom management, students with special needs,

student plans, learning objectives, Effective Teaching Principles, evaluation, school-home collaboration, etc.

The internship is well structured with five intern periods with different focus. The students are happy about

the internships, but there is a big difference between how well the internship is prepared and how well it is

followed up in the teaching. There is very limited contact between the teacher education and the

internship schools, and there are insufficient mechanisms to ensure that the quality of the internship is in

order. The teaching practice educators have often not been prepared for their role, and the teacher

education has completely left it to the internship schools to assess the student's benefit from the

internship.

Admission of too Many Students with Weak Prerequisites

The teacher education programme has difficulty attracting the most talented students from high school,

and there is therefore a need to strengthen the reputation of the teacher education. The entrance

requirements among many of the students are at a low level, which is due, among other things, to the fact

that a large group of students are admitted with a lower grade average than what the education actually

considers necessary. Some students therefore choose main subjects that are reputable to be easy, e.g. arts,

crafts and Greenlandic. In several main subjects, such as English and mathematics, the specific entry

prerequisites among some students are so weak that the level and content of the education are affected

95

and the students are struggling to achieve the expected level of graduation. There is therefore a need to

immediately strengthen the academic entry level in the core teaching subjects of the teacher education.

Weak Research Basing and Poor Contact to the Profession

The research based teaching of the teacher education is too weak, and the students are to a limited extent

presented to relevant new research. The research and development activities of the education are too few

and random to truly ensure a dynamic development environment and a satisfactory approach to new

knowledge for the teacher education. It is a smaller group of educators who account for the majority of the

activity. There have been no clear expectations from the management to the extent to which the educators

are to engage in research and development activities, but the education programme has worked on

developing a research strategy that can put the future work into clearer frameworks.

The university has already sought to strengthen the research basing on the teacher education through both

the appointment of a professor and the appointment of PhD students, but the dividend for the educators

and the students has been too limited to place any significance on the initiatives. It has been a problem

that not all research workers are living in Greenland, as it limits their ability to help strengthen the teaching

and study environment in everyday life.

Ilinniarfissuaq as an institution also has too little contact with practice and too little knowledge of the

development of the Greenlandic primary school, and the questionnaire survey among the educators shows

that the educators' contact with the schools is also limited. Students' internship periods only give rise to

limited contact between the education programme and the schools, and only a few of the educators are

involved in development projects with the schools. The lack of contact means that the educators find it

difficult to relate the teaching at the teacher education to the reality that the students have to act in as

graduated teachers.

Unclear Management and Non-Committal Culture

A significant part of the teacher education challenges is linked to a pronounced lack of pedagogical

management. It is expressed in several areas. Overall, there is a lack of strategic management that

determines guidelines for the development of the education, and a professional management in terms of

content that ensures the quality of the teaching. Both the questionnaire survey and the interviews with the

educators point out that too low a degree of coordination and collaboration among the teaching staff

96

means that the educators are left to themselves and not necessarily pull in the same direction. At the

organisational level, there is the problem of unattended positions in the management and that there is no

effective evaluation or quality assurance practice, so the management must rely on the quality being fine

without actually knowing.

The teacher education is characterised by a culture that does not set clear goals and guidelines, and does

not follow up or give feedback, for example explicit limits for absence, feedback from the management to

the educators on their examination statements, results of the students' evaluation of the teaching, etc. This

makes it difficult to maintain the expected level of the teaching, and the students are sent to primary

school without being prepared for the obligatory community that a school should be.

Many Detailed Recommendations with Quick Effect and Simple Implementation

The expert panel has formulated a number of more detailed recommendations on how the teacher

education can overcome the identified challenges and develop the quality of education. The

recommendations are summarised in Table 1 on the next page, where they are divided according to how

complex they will be to implement and how quickly an effect they bring.

The recommendations are elucidated in the chapters of the report – often with proposals for how the

development task can be addressed. It is thus the opinion of the expert panel that it is by no means an

impossible task, even though the challenges are extensive. First of all, as shown in Table 1, many

recommendations have a quick effect, as it will be relatively simple for the teacher education to complete.

Secondly, during the visit, the expert panel gained a clear impression that at and around the teacher

education, there are many resources and positive experiences that are possible to build on and involve in

the work of elevating the level of the teacher education into a modern profession-oriented and research-

based education in line with the needs of the primary school.

97

Table 1: The expert panel’s detailed recommendations to the teacher education

Recommendations with a quick effect Recommendations with effect in a slightly

longer term

Recommendations,

which are relatively

easy to implement

The teacher education is recommended to:

• Revise the curriculum and formulate clear

learning objectives (4.1)

• Prioritise the subject didactic and

profession-oriented elements of the teaching

rather than abstract pedagogical theory (4.3)

• Develop a plan to gain professional skills,

such as classroom management and

differentiated teaching (4.3)

• Ensure coherence between preparation,

implementation and post processing of

the internship (4.4)

• Guide more on written academic

presentation and analysis (4.5)

• Support students with language challenges

better (4.5)

• Include school leaders and experienced

teachers as resource persons in the teaching

at the teacher education college, e.g. in

connection with professional competences

such as classroom management and

differentiated teaching (6.2)

• Ensure that PhD fellows with their research

contribute to the development of

the teacher education's research profile

and level through, among other things,

attendance and participation in the teaching

staff (6.3)

• Ensure that professors contribute to the

research development of the teacher

education through attendance and

participation in the teaching staff (6.3)


• Reintroduce visits of the main subject

educators at the internship schools (4.4)

• More stringent admission requirements

for the education programme (5.2)

• Appoint subject responsible coordinators

and co-ordinators of cohorts (7.7)

98

Recommendations,

which are more

complex

to implement


• Take responsibility for evaluating and

approving the internship (4.4)

• Exercise clearer educational management in

everyday life (7.7)

• Establish an evaluation culture and a

quality system (7.7)

• Create an ambitious teacher culture (7.7)


• Expand recruitment efforts (5.1)

• Ensure better consistency between the

students' choice of main subjects and the

needs of the schools (5.3)

• Obtain systematic knowledge of

developments in the field of practice (6.2)

• Set clear requirements and expectations for

the educators' participation in research and

development (6.3)

• Monitor the involvement of research and

development activities in the teaching (6.3)

• Consider co-location with the university's

other programmes at Ilimmarfik (6.4)

• Exercise management with a far greater

strategic perspective (7.7)

Note: The numbers in parentheses refer to the sections in the report where the recommendations are given

and elaborated.

99

Annex 9: High School Reform

The high school area was the last of the educational areas to be repatriated. The repatriation took place in

2009, but the first Greenlandic legislation did not come into effect until 2011, and the first students started

the new education in 2012. The vision was to ensure a greater degree of adaptation of the education

programme to a Greenlandic context while maintaining international standards and academic levels. The

context is characterised by the fact that the majority of the students move far away from home and live in

colleges in order to take the education and often have to take it using their second or a foreign language.

Language of instruction in high schools is primarily Danish and carried out by Danish teachers, as there is

not yet sufficient recruitment of teachers from Greenland. Therefore, it is a special challenge to ensure the

anchoring of the students and their cultures. In addition, the students come with very different

backgrounds, both geographically, culturally and socially. There are major differences in the level of

primary education that has been possible for the students to receive resulting in great divergence in their

academic prerequisites. At some of the small places, it has not always been possible to provide qualified

education in specific subjects, and depending on where in the country you come from, the linguistic

differences can make English the 4th language to be learned e.g. by students from the east coast. However,

the requirements in English are still the same as for students with English as their 2nd language. To many

students, it is a major cultural change to come from a small-scale society to the cities where the high

schools are located, and the change from primary school to secondary school may also hold the challenges

of learning to navigate in a new educational culture with new work habits, skills and requirements –

especially for the large proportion of first-generation high school students, who, to some extent, can be

characterised as having a foreign educational background compared to Western education systems. In

addition, a large proportion of the students have children they have to provide care for if the child is ill and

in other ways provide for their needs, which may affect how much time they can dedicate their schooling.

Several have experienced abuse or neglect, giving trauma and a need for psychological support in order to

complete their education. In this context, however, it should also be added that there are, of course, also

very well-functioning and academically well-established students with high demands on their educational

opportunities. The context therefore implies that the requirements for the students to obtain an high

school certificate do not simply correspond to what students in a more homogeneous cultural, social and

economic context should be able to; the students in this country must be capable of much more

linguistically, personally and academically to achieve their educational goals. The adaptation was therefore

deemed necessary for the education to take the context into account as much as possible to offset the

100

challenges of the individual in relation to the content, structure and flexibility of the education in order to

realise the wish for more students to complete the education.

High School – Development and Quality Assurance

Reform 2012

The High school Reform of 2012 introduced a new education focusing on the development of the person as

a whole and giving each student the best possible conditions for academic and social development. With

the new high school programme being implemented, the goal is for more people – including younger

students – to graduate high school and preferably start directly after primary school. The aim of the reform

is for more young people to be attracted by, included and maintained in strong academic developmental

environments, so that they are ready and motivated for a higher education after three years. The reform

has 20 overall initiatives, but emphasis mainly lies within three areas:

Pedagogy: Including, but not limited to, secondary language training, and culture based teaching

Academic competence: Including, but not limited to, fields of study, new subjects (culture, science,

study technique), and team work with a focus on both social and academic wellbeing

Guidance: Including, but not limited to, more professionalised guidance and extended study-,

career-, and personal counselling.

Evaluation 2012–2017

Since 2013 there has been an on-going external evaluation of the implementation and impact of the

reform. The final evaluation was conducted in the school year 2016/17. The evaluations have focused on

the implementation of the reform and to determine the needs for adjustments in relation to the

implementation.

Method

The evaluations were based on a mixed-method approach where register data, questionnaires, participant

observation and interviews were included. Empirical data were collected from management, teachers and

students as well as other relevant staff.

On the meta-level, the intention was for the evaluations to act as tools for the individual school's own

planning of implementation to gain an overview of where efforts were needed and the effect of their

efforts. Each school received their individual report, which was partly based on data gathered across

101

schools, but also with room for focusing on the specific needs of their schools. In addition to the individual

school reports, a cross-sectional report was made comparing schools to key parameters such as

implementation, level of implementation, and absence. Data collection took place during autumn, after

which IKIIN went to visit the schools in the early spring to discuss the results with each school. During the

visits, the effort plans were discussed on the basis of the evaluation results, and each school then handed in

a revised implementation plan to be realised in the coming school year. IKIIN had provided a model for the

schools' implementation plan supporting a more systematic and transparent planning.

The Results of the Evaluations

One of the main objectives of the reform was for more young people to finish upper secondary education.

So the challenge for the high schools was and is to be able to accommodate a broader group of students

with more young students than previously. The consequence of the reform and a decade of declining

cohorts of adolescents was that the high schools had to embrace students with very different skills

academically, socially and personally. In addition to the fact that the group of first generation high school

students grew, more students with academic challenges were admitted. At the same time, the second main

purpose of the reform was for more students to achieve better results academically and complete more

high-level subjects. Therefore, the reform included a major focus on pedagogical flexibility and demands for

new competencies and strategies, both didactically and academically. As expected, the student group has

become much more divers with the reform and the group of education-induced students has grown. It

places particular pressure on implementing the educational efforts in order to maintain an improvement in,

among other things, implementation rates and transition to further education, because for many students

it is a big step in itself to complete high school.

Results of the evaluations show that the schools are very different, and that for some schools it has been

easier to implement than others. In general, the results show that areas where schools have come the

longest with the implementation and impact of this are in relation to the more structural and

organisational efforts, where efforts in relation to changing practice in the classrooms and close to the

students are lagging behind. Below an illustration of the degree of implementation of the various elements

as a whole:

102

Figure 1. Interdisciplinary assessment of the implementation status of 2016/2017

Some data reductions indicate that special efforts must still be made for individual or groups of students.

The proportion of students experiencing difficulties with the teaching when conducted in Greenlandic and

Danish or either in one language or another has not changed significantly during the evaluation period. This

may, for example, indicate that the effort made in relation to second language pedagogy is not strong

enough or lacks implementation. Likewise, the qualitative data point out that, for example, of the 3 new

subjects, the implementation and the students' acceptance of the science and culture subjects are good,

but none of the schools have yet found an acceptable practice for the subject of study methodology. The

students indicate that when the subject did function, it made a lot of sense to them and gave them good

tools for other subjects, but often the subject is not linked to other subjects, and they find it hard to see the

significance of the subject. Likewise, students call for more involvement in the teaching, and clear

frameworks for what they are supposed to do and how they can achieve it. This indicates that the on-going

evaluation is not yet fully implemented. Teachers call for more time and tools to accommodate the wide

spread of students' linguistic and academic prerequisites and find it challenging to help students achieve

the levels required in the curricula.

On the Meta plan, the evaluations indicate that there is a need for refreshment and clarity about the

purpose and intentions of the individual elements of the education as there is a relatively large

replacement of the teachers and the management, and the memory in the institutions is therefore fragile.

103

Thus, the common work regarding similar goals risks getting lost and becoming indistinct in everyday life.

The intention that each school should have their own report as a tool for more systematic and transparent

planning of their own development process does not appear to work optimally. The schools experience the

reports as something external and do not use them actively in the institution over time. Thus, ownership of

the tool has not been obtained, and it is more perceived as an end result rather than part of the individual

institution's on-going development process.

Strategy 2017–2022

The overall evaluation plan for the first period 2012–2017 was to carry out annual external evaluations

primarily to function as implementing tools for the individual school, while collecting data across schools in

relation to the overall development of the high school. After the first two passages – i.e. two years with

students from the new scheme in 2017 – the plan was to revise and adjust the education. In part, because

the expectation was that during the first period, it would not be possible to completely hit the mark with all

the new initiatives and experience would be gained with the new initiatives that could lead to adjustments

and improvements. In 2017, IKIIN therefore gathered the results and conducted workshops at each school

to get input for actions based on the results. In these workshops, management, teachers, students and

other relevant staff participated. As a presentation to the workshops and in the light of recommendations

for a repeated clarity about the purpose and visions of each initiative, IKIIN prepared an information

package that describes all intentions and legislation within the various areas of effort. A revision of all

curricula was initiated, and on the basis of the input from the schools, 15 commissions were drawn up for

areas of the education programmes in need of development in general. The idea is that the schools must

carry out development projects within the different areas, and based on their experience, further changes

can, if needed, be made in the legislation, economics and other relevant governance documents. Thus, in

the 2017/18 school year, various development projects have been initiated, however, in prioritised order.

IKIIN has set a framework for all schools to focus on pedagogical development, including pedagogical

management, development of methods and principles, as well as on-going evaluation and involvement of

the students. The compulsory development areas can change over the years, but the educational focus has

been chosen on the basis of the challenges seen in the education programme with a larger dissemination in

the student group, as well as the results of the evaluation reports in relation to areas where more efforts

still need to be made. Below is a list of the development areas that are granted support for development:

1. Pedagogical management

2. Pedagogical and didactic development

3. Internal quality assurance practice

104

4. External quality assurance practice

5. Basic programme

6. Fields of study (referring to particularly spacious and ambitious)

7. Screening and special courses

8. Basic language (development of language-enhancing courses in Greenlandic, Danish and English)

9. Length of education

10. Student welfare

11. Team-cooperation

12. Study methodology

13. Admission procedure (more transparency for users)

14. Revision of all curricula

15. Professional consultancy

The evaluation strategy for the next 5 years until 2022, by when a major audit work and experience

gathering will be undertaken, is to build up a higher degree of development and evaluation skills in the

institutions. In order to achieve a higher degree of ownership, the idea is to anchor development focus and

culture in the local community so as to allow these experiences to influence the management tools. Thus,

the strategy should provide greater efficiency in relation to the development of improved practices through

the bottom-up mechanisms. IKIIN has allocated a pool of funds that can be activated by the institutions for

their projects, and requirements for action research principles have been set in all projects to ensure the

quality of these. IKIIN systematically collects the results and ensures that these experiences are shared

across schools. Among other things, one of the projects is that the schools' managements compile both

their internal quality assurance practices and practices in terms of how cooperation with external parties

can provide a greater degree of systematics and transparency in their own development project. For

example, the principals have decided that the 4 schools are going to evaluate each other each year on the

basis of certain principles that support the overall objectives of the upper secondary area. IKIIN will

continue to visit the schools every year giving development support and supervision. Furthermore, a major

external evaluation is planned in 2022, in addition to focusing on data development and greater

systematics in the on-going evaluation practice at the schools and at IKIIN in shared efforts.

All in all, it has to be concluded that since the schools have been successful in admitting more and more

students, but have not yet reached a high degree of implementation, it cannot be seen that the

implementation rate or percentage showing how many continue education is increasing. However, it must

be acknowledged that the schools have actually managed to lift a much larger group of students, here both

in terms of numbers and representation in background, and maintain approximately the same level as

before regarding implementation. The percentage of students continuing in education must also be seen in

105

the light of the fact that there are currently many more students for whom the high school degree in itself

has been a major journey. The results within the two areas are expected to increase in step with the further

implementation rate, and the focus is on local anchoring in relation to development culture, so the schools

gain more common practice with a high degree of adaptability and which is adaptable to divergent student

needs continuously.

106

Annex 10: Survey of the day-care sector

”Survey of the Day Care Sector” will contribute to the creation of a knowledge foundation prior to the work

on a strategy and action plan for the day care sector. The intention of the plan is to find ways in which the

needs for recruitment, training, upgrading and retention of staff at the day care centres can be met in the

future.

In recent years, the day care sector has increasingly become the subject of attention. With the attention,

the need for systematic knowledge of the area has emerged on the political agenda. The purpose of this

survey is to give the Government a detailed up-to-the-minute account of the preschool area that can advise

the political process. At the same time, the survey also points forward and draws a picture of how the

preschool area can develop in the future.

To provide a broad and in-depth mapping of the day care area, the survey draws on a wide range of both

qualitative and quantitative data sources. The survey has been conducted with questionnaire surveys

among managers, staff and parents, in-depth interviews with staff and functional managers and relevant

register data collected. More precisely, the survey builds on the following data sources:

In-depth interviews with the four municipal functional managers within the field

In-depth interviews with 10 managers, day care teachers and pedagogical trained employees who have resigned within the last year

Questionnaire survey of 184 parents with children in day care centres

Questionnaire survey of 118 employees at day care centres

Questionnaire survey of 54 centre managers

Register data from Statistics Greenland, the register of the Administration of Education Grants (USF)

Personnel counts reported by the municipal functional managers The data sources are integrated into analysis and presented continuously.

Conclusions

Education and Experience of the Staff

The employees in the day care area can be described based on a number of characteristics. Half of the

childcare employees in the day care centres are unskilled day care assistant teachers. About one-fifth are

day care teachers, while one-third are people with another educational training, typically a 2-year assistant

education. On average, the employees have been employed in their current position for 7 years, while the

managers in average have 9 years seniority. Most of the staff knows about the decentralised day care

107

teacher-training programme and half are considering following the decentralised day care teacher-training

programme.

Further Education and Skill Development

Employees are trained to a different extent after being recruited. The managers most frequently receive

further training, where three quarters of the managers have been in training within the last year. 15 % of

other staffs at the day care centres have been on a further training or skill development course in the past

year. Among this employee group, it is most often day care teachers and the pedagogical staff who take

further education.

Even though the need for skill development according to the centre managers is greatest among the

unskilled day care assistant teachers, it is in fact other employee groups that receive further training. Since

2007, a total of 3,200 participants have received pedagogical further training or followed skill development

courses at SPS. Since 2015, however, the number of participants has been halved. Interviews with the

functional managers point out that the physical distance to the programmes is a challenge for the centres.

Several emphasise that it would be beneficial for the further education if the courses were held at the

centres.

Employee Retention

The day care centres generally experience retention issues. Thus, 28 % of the employees have terminated

their position in the last year. Only approx. one-tenth of the day care staff say that they do not expect to be

in their position in two years, but many are in doubt (33 %). Of these, three quarters wish to continue

within the pedagogical field for the next two years. The interviews with the childcare employees who have

changed work in recent years show that the manager is central to retention. The manager must thus

balance the employee's autonomy and the managerial framework so that the employee can bring his/her

competencies into play and at the same time recognise the expectations of the manager.

Many terminations and sick leave may also contribute to making the daily work so busy for the rest of the

staff that motivation for working decreases. This especially holds true for managers when they find that

they need to cover for the staff rather than spend time on leadership. Day care teachers consider changing

work when they lack opportunities to use their professional skills in an appropriate manner or there are

bad working conditions in the form of, for example, heavy lifting. The municipalities' retention efforts are

central as the day care centres find it difficult to recruit and retain staff. The municipalities have not

prepared actual retention strategies. The main retention tool that all municipalities apply is the use of

108

further education; particularly the use of education and counselling of centre managers. The rationale

being that the municipalities feel that the management of the day care centres is central to whether

employees choose to stay or look for new grounds. Further training of the rest of the staff is also applied

because the functional managers find that professional development is important for the employees. A

small selection of relevant courses and a – for some centres – long distance to the educational institutions

are, however, challenging.

Wage levels and structures in the day care area are factors in relation to the difficulties of retaining the

staff. Firstly, because the day care teachers can get higher salaries when working for the primary school and

residential facilities. Secondly, because it is not worth paying for experienced day care assistant teachers to

follow the decentralised social worker training programme. However, it is not only the salary that matters

but also whether the work is perceived as physically and mentally hard compared to working at schools and

residential facilities.

Work Tasks

Most of the time spent by the managers of the centres and other staff members goes with tasks that relate

to their function. The questionnaire survey indicates that the centre managers use 61 % of their time on

management-related tasks such as managerial and administrative tasks, while other staffs use 89 % of their

time on tasks such as time with the children, as well as practical and parent-related tasks. 4 % of the centre

managers indicate that all or almost all of their administrative tasks could be handled by office staff.

Work Environment

The satisfaction is generally high among the staff at day care centres. 91 % of the employees in the day care

centres are satisfied or very satisfied with their workplace. The proportion is slightly less among centre

managers than the other staffs. They are most satisfied with their work tasks and least satisfied with their

opportunities for professional development. In particular, the centre managers are less satisfied with their

opportunities for professional development.

Virtually all employees find that their work is meaningful, while 74 % experience having an impact on the

workload. This holds especially true among the other staffs. There is, however, an improvement potential

in relation to the work pace as well as the amount of support and recognition experienced by the

employees. Of critical factors related to the mental health and safety environment, it can be emphasised

that 23 % have experienced being exposed to bullying in the workplace in the past year, while 16 % have

constantly or often felt stressed over the past two weeks.

109

In addition, 77 % indicate that there is too much noise in the day care centres, while 69 % indicate that they

have to work with a bent back and often have to lift. Approx. 50 % indicate that it causes discomfort such as

pain in the back and the shoulders. The other staffs more frequently meet ergonomically challenging

postures when working compared to the managers. The employees' abilities to meet the physical

challenges are greater than the mental ones.

Provision of Day Care Teachers Now and in the Future

The provision of trained day care teachers in the labour market was 477 in 2016. There were approx. 759

primary school teachers, 255 nurses, 412 social workers, 64 social- and health care assistants, 368 social-

and health care helpers and 41 with another pedagogical training. The number of senior day care teachers

close to pension age is low. This indicates that the provision of day care teachers will not fall drastically in

the coming years. The same holds true of the primary school teachers, so a large increase in the demand

for day care teachers to replace retired teachers is furthermore not forthcoming.

Since 2011, the annual number of people to complete a pedagogical education has increased. This is

because the annual admission to the day care teacher-training programme has increased, while the

implementation rate has risen. This is a positive development for Greenland to better meet the needs for

day care teachers in the labour market.

If looking toward the future provision, the most likely future scenario is that there will be between 24 and

27 day care teachers trained annually in the future. The number will be greatest in the coming years, but

will decrease towards year 2040 because the younger cohorts are smaller. Therefore, a likely scenario is

that the provision of day care teachers will increase in the future. Only if we calculate a large decline in the

admission or implementation rates compared to the current level, we will face a scenario where the

number of day care teachers will be smaller in the coming years than is the case today. The number of

primary school teachers will also grow in the coming years, which means that fewer day care teachers will

be needed working as teachers in primary schools in the future. The development is due to the fact that,

with the current admission, more people are being trained than going on retirement.

Demand for Day Care Teachers Now and in the Future

The day care centres do not have enough day care teachers to live up to the standards of the day care

centres according to the provision of the Government's regulation § 20. More than one day-care teacher is

missing %re on average – a total of approx. 120 day care teachers. 80 % of day care centres have a manager

who is trained as a day care teacher. As a compensation for day care teachers, the centres employ many

110

unskilled day care assistant teachers. This shows that there is a great lack of day care teachers in the day

care centres.

The birth rate is important for the need of day care teachers in the future. Statistics Greenland's population

projections show that the number of children will be almost constant from year 2018 to 2040. That means

– all else being equal – that the need for day care services and pedagogically trained staff will be about the

same in 2040 as in 2017. For the last thirty years, more and more people have moved from settlements to

towns. If this trend continues, model calculations show that the number of children in the settlements will

fall by approx. 40 % from 2017 to 2040.

The demand for day care teachers and day care centres also depends on how many parents choose to have

their children in day care. 7 out of 10 children were in day care in 2017. In the towns, more children attend

day care, while the proportion of children in day care centres is smaller in the rural areas, where children

are more often taken care of by a day care mother or at home. From 2011 to 2017, the proportion of

children in a public day care centre has increased by 6 percentage points. If this trend continues and more

parents also choose day care centres in the future, the demand for day care teachers and day care centres

will increase in the future.

Balance between Provision and Demand

The future balance situation in the day care centres also depends on a variety of complex conditions. Even

though more day care teachers are trained in the future, the balance situation will depend, first of all, on

how many day care teachers will be employed in the day care centres in the future. Secondly, on how many

children will be enrolled in the day care centres in the future. Based on projections of the provision of day

care teachers and birth rates, a projection of coverage rates shows that if the same number of day care

teachers working in the day care centres today also will be working there in the future and the same

amount of 0–5 year olds will attend the day care centres, the coverage will approach the statutory 100 % by

year 2040. On the other hand, if the proportion of children in kindergartens and nurseries rises from the

present level (69 %) to 90 %, the degree of coverage in 2040 will continue to be too low. Finally, the

calculations show that if the proportion of day care teachers working in day care centres rises from 40 %

today to 60 % by 2040, there will be more than one and a half day care teachers per child group.

Pedagogical Practice in Day Care Services

The majority (78 %) of the staff and the managers primarily speak Greenlandic to the children, whereas 3 %

primarily speak Danish. A large proportion of the centre managers uses the educational tools TRAS (88 %),

111

RABU (82 %) and SPU (71 %), and the majority of these believe they contribute positively to the

development of children and to better parenting. In addition, the majority of the centre managers believe

that special conditions affect the applied pedagogy. Their responses show that the Greenlandic culture,

language and local customs are of particular importance.

Parental Satisfaction

There is generally a high satisfaction among the parents with the day care centres. In addition, parents

believe that their children are happy with the centre. Similarly, there are high levels of satisfaction with

opening hours and the centre's efforts in most forms of development of the child's skills. Satisfaction with

the efforts in language development of Danish is, however, at a more moderate level, which may be due to

the fact that only a minority of the staff speak Danish with the children. Satisfaction with the physical

environment and the indoor climate is high as well as satisfaction with the involvement of the parents and

the cooperation with the employees and the centre managers. However, they experience a high staff

turnover.

IT-Support

IT is a tool that is increasingly demanded at the day care centres. 82 % and 76 % respectively of the parents

find that there is a great or some need for opportunities to find practical information about the day care

offer online, and that they can be informed of their children's everyday lives in the centre online or through

an app using pictures and text. At the same time, there is a need for better IT support to match the need

for IT. This applies to IT support to the staff in relation to sparring with colleagues (74 %), managerial and

administrative tasks (66 %), the dialogue with parents (66 %), and to the interaction with the children (59

%). The centre managers are increasingly experiencing a need for IT support in relation to sparring with

colleagues and for managerial and administrative tasks in comparison with other staffs.

112

Annex 11: Strategy and Action Plan for Professionals in Day-care

Institutions

Introduction

1: Strategy and Action plan - Background and Objectives

In connection with Inatsisartut's autumn session 2016, Inatsisartut adopted a motion for Inatsisartut

resolution to impose on Naalakkersuisut to present a strategy and action plan, which will indicate the way

in which we, based on the needs, ensure employment, education, upgrading and retention of the

professional staff at day care institutions in the future.

Naalakkersuisut found that this is a good time for the many initiatives that have been launched to be

compiled and assessed in a comprehensive strategy and action plan. Such a plan will, according to

Naalakkersuisut's assessment, require a thorough involvement of the municipalities, professional staff and

other good forces. Naalakkersuisut wants to ensure that the preparation of the strategy and action plan will

take place with the appropriate user involvement.

The vision for the strategy and action plan is:

The Vision

To develop children and young people who are safe, confident and respectful, are mentally and physically

healthy and proud of their identity and culture.

Mission

The mission is to secure more qualified pedagogues as well as maintain and upgrade the existing staff at

day care institutions, which must form the basis for effective and coherent efforts that contribute to

ensuring a stable and well-educated staff in all the country's day care institutions.

The vision describes the overall direction, whereby Naalakkersuisut wants to develop children and young

people who are safe, confident and who show respect for each other, are mentally and physically healthy

and are proud of their identity and culture, so that the children develop social and personal skills and the

best prerequisites for learning during their school hours and subsequently in further education.

The strategy and action plan for the retention of skilled personnel at day care institutions must thus

contribute to realising the central vision.

113

The mission is more concrete and implemented by formulating both short- and long-term goals and

initiatives, which are intended to create better opportunities for retaining the staff at day care institutions

by focusing on the staff's terms of employment, education and continuing education, working environment,

use of IT as a tool and evaluation of all efforts.

2: The Overall Objectives of the Strategy and Action Plan

The strategy and action plan for the retention of the staff at day care institutions must contribute to:

To retaining the pedagogical staff at day care institutions

To optimising the education, further and continuing education and the upgrading of the pedagogical staff in the country's day care institutions in terms of quality and content

To ensuring continued focus on the mental and physical working environment in day care institutions

To ensuring that the use of IT both administratively and pedagogically are modern and in accordance with Naalakkersuisut's other strategies in the area

To ensuring ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the efforts in the entire preschool area for continuous development work in the preschool area.

The vision, the mission and the overall policy objectives must guide the development of more operational

and concrete goals for the efforts in relation to the retention of the skilled personnel at the day care

institutions.

It is important to Naalakkersuisut that the strategy and action plan for the retention of the staff at day care

institutions is seen in the context of Naalakkersuisut's other efforts in the field of children and young

people, the social area, the education area, the labour market area and the health area.

The Strategy and Action Plan Must be used as a Priority Tool

Naalakkersuisut's Strategy and Action Plan for the Professional Staff at Day Care Institutions must be a tool

for the administration and the politicians to use actively to ensure prioritisation of initiatives and projects

that can support the desired overall development in the area.

3: The Work on the Strategy and Action Plan

The work on the preparation of the strategy and action plan has been managed and coordinated by the

Agency for Education with a steering committee consisting of the head of agency, the deputy director, the

education inspector and the head of department for the pedagogical area.

114

In connection with the work, a two-day seminar was held in Nuuk January 16-17, 2018. To this end, a

number of different professionals from the Government, the municipalities, the educational institutions

and the organisations associated with the pedagogical staff at the day care institutions were invited and

represented the following: The Ministry of Finances and Taxes, the Ministry of Education, Culture,

Research and Church, the Agency for Education, the Ministry of Health, the National Board of Health,

Avannaata Municipality, Municipality of Qeqertalik, Qeqqata Municipality, Sermersooq Municipality,

Municipality of Kujalleq (the latter unfortunately did not arrive due to the weather), Perorsaanermik

Ilinniarfik (PI/CSE), Nunatsinni Perorsaasut Kattuffiat (NPK), Sulisitsisut-Greenland Business Association, SIK,

IMAK, Institute of Learning, MIO, the Ministry of Industry, Labour, Trade and Energy (PKU-funds).

Tasks and timetable in connection with the preparation of the strategy and action plan were as follows:

Mid December 2017:

a. Register analysis

Where do people with a pedagogical education work.

How is the personnel ratio at day care institutions across the country, description of staff composition in relation to education, calculation of coverage rates etc.

Mapping of the College of Social Education’s continuing education programmes and how many have received continuing education and within which subject areas.

Updating of projection (number and distribution) of children 0-6 years and possibly 7-16 years.

Updating of the supply of pedagogues and other relevant programmes at the same level or within the municipal area.

b. Interview with functional managers of the area

What strategies do the municipalities have for the day care area, including in relation to working environment, continuing education, retention and attraction of pedagogues as well as in relation to pedagogy?

Facts about the municipality's day care facilities, including institutional structure, etc.

c. Head of institution survey

A survey is sent out to heads of institutions regarding employee seniority, working environment, opportunities and needs for continuing education, digital support, application of pedagogical principles, etc.

The possibility of using office staff for some work tasks.

d. Employee survey

115

A survey is sent out to employees in the Greenlandic day care area to examine the employees' views on working environment, opportunities and the need for continuing education, etc.

e. Cause analysis among former employees

Qualitative interviews with pedagogues who have changed jobs in the past year to identify reasons behind the change.

f. Parents survey

What is the parents' view of the municipality's day care offers, and what are the requests of the parents in relation to digital support.

Seminar on January 16 and 17, 2018:

Seminar for stakeholders and interested parties who discussed the terms of reference and contributed to

the content of the Strategy and Action Plan. Proposals from the seminar participants have been assembled

from the groups and edited so that proposals relating to the same topic have been merged. Most of the

participants' proposals have thus been placed in the various focus areas, but also compiled in Appendix 2,

and can be included in the more detailed work with this Strategy and Action Plan.

In this connection, it should be noted that issues of salaries and other employment conditions, which the

Government of Greenland will take into account, have also been discussed. This is however a contractual

agreement between the social partners and outside the scope of this Strategy and Action Plan, which must

therefore be discussed further in another forum. However, Naalakkersuisut will have salary statistics

prepared showing the salary level for different professional groups.

End of January 2018:

Draft of the Strategy and Action Plan has been submitted for consultation from 19 January 2018 to 19

February 2018. In this respect refer to the separate consultation report which is attached.

Mid-2018:

Draft of the Strategy and Action Plan must be submitted to Naalakkersuisut for approval with a view to

subsequent submission to Inatsisartut.

4: The Content of the Strategy and Action Plan

116

Naalakkersuisut's Strategy and Action Plan for day care staff must act as a prioritisation tool first and

foremost to ensure recruitment, education, upgrading and retention of the professional staff at day care

institutions.

Based on the political reports, the Steering Committee therefore decided that the work on the Strategy and

Action Plan should focus on the following 5 areas:

The 5 Focus Areas of the Strategy and Action Plan:

1. Recruitment and retention of the staff

2. Education and upgrading of skills

3. Working environment

4. IT area

5. Evaluation, monitoring and adjustment of the Strategy and Action plan

The areas of intervention and focus in the Strategy and Action Plan are in many cases dependent on each

other. The numbering is therefore not an indicative of a prioritised order.

Within each area of intervention and focus, the initiatives that must be prioritised strategically are

described to ensure the desired development in the day care area. In addition, the expected effects of an

implementation of the proposed efforts are described.

For some of the areas of intervention and focus, further considerations, planning and thus time are

required before they can be implemented, while others can be implemented immediately. Some of the

efforts may require further processing in the individual municipalities, which for some have already

introduced initiatives that cover the focus areas of the Strategy and Action Plan.

5: From Strategy to Action

The further development of the present Strategy and Action Plan must be seen as a process in which the

experiences gained along the way may require an adjustment of the Strategy and Action Plan over time,

but where the vision and mission of the Strategy and Action Plan must guide the further work.

Interdisciplinary Co-operation

In order to implement Naalakkersuisut's Strategy and Action Plan for the staff at day care institutions, it is

necessary to ensure collaboration across the most important partners in this work: Ministries and agencies

under the Government, educational institutions, municipalities, organisations and others working with

children and young people.

117

Implementation and Operationalisation

The strategy and action plan must be seen as a whole, but the efforts of the strategy and action plan cannot

be implemented simultaneously, because some efforts require development work or training efforts before

they can be implemented, while others can be implemented immediately. This means that an

implementation of the strategy and action plan must be planned carefully in time and effort.

The goals of the strategy and action plan are overall and must therefore be seen as benchmarks in the

forward-looking work in relation to the five focus areas.

6. Ensuring the Implementation

Responsibility for the implementation of the Strategy and Action Plan is embedded in the Agency for

Education and the Municipalities. The embedment is strengthened through interdisciplinary collaboration

both locally and centrally.

Overall Steering Committee

In order to ensure the overall management, prioritisation and coordination and to ensure coherence

between the political goals, a steering group is set up consisting of:

The Minister of the Ministry of Education, Culture Church, Head of the Agency for Education, the Head of

Department of the Pedagogical Area in the Agency for Education and representatives of the municipalities.

The Minister the Ministry of Education, Culture and Church is also a member of the steering committee for

the special educational effort in the social field. This will ensure the necessary coordination of initiatives

aimed at day care institutions and initiatives targeted at the social area.

Advisory Group

The representatives of the organisations, the educational institutions, the Government and the

municipalities, who contribute to making proposals for the content of the Strategy and Action Plan, also

constitute a planning advisory group to ensure:

The continuous control, monitoring and coordination of the implementation of the Strategy and Action Plan's areas of focus and intervention.

Input to the overall steering committee's meetings.

Regular status-oriented meetings.

118

The advisory group conducts at least one meeting annually, which can be held in continuation of the annual

meeting between the functional managers and the Agency for Education.

Coordination

The day-to-day coordination of the implementation is handled by the Agency for Education, including the

Preschool Group in close cooperation with all parties involved, among other things through regular

telephone conferences with the municipalities, during which the municipalities are given the opportunity to

exchange ideas about their initiatives and ongoing efforts. The Agency is also responsible for systematic

reporting to Naalakkersuisut.

7: Economic and Practical Resources

The resource-intensive efforts that follow from the implementation of the Strategy and Action Plan are

discussed regularly during the process and will be sought incorporated into the Finance Act in the coming

years in connection with the other strategies and plans of Naalakkersuisut.

119

8: Focus Area: Recruitment and Retention of the Staff

Description of current conditions regarding recruitment and retention of staff

Half of the day care staff at day care institutions are unskilled child-care workers. About one fifth are

pedagogues, while one third is made up of people with another pedagogical education. The staff has on

average been employed in their current position for 7 years, while the managers have on average 9 years of

seniority. Most of the staff are familiar with the decentralised pedagogue education programme and half

are considering taking the education.

The day care institutions find it difficult to retain the staff. Thus, 28 % of the total staff terminated their

position in the past year. Only about one-tenth of the day care staff express that they do not expect to be in

their current position in two years, but many are in doubt (33 %). Of these, three quarters want to continue

within the pedagogical area for the next two years. Interviews with the pedagogical staff who have changed

jobs in the past year show that a manager who allows the employee to use his / her competences is central

to retention. Many terminations and sick leaves can also make everyday life so busy for the staff that the

motivation for the work declines. This is especially true for the managers when they find that due to sick

leaves, they have to carry out general teaching work rather than spend time on management. For

pedagogues, changing job is taken into consideration when they lack opportunities to bring their

pedagogical skills into play in an appropriate manner, or when there are poor conditions in the form of, for

example, a lot of heavy lifting.

The interviews with the functional managers support the fact that the day care institutions find it difficult to

recruit and retain the staff. However, the municipalities have not prepared specific retention strategies. The

central retention tool that all municipalities use is continuing education. Special training and counselling for

institutional managers are in use. The reason for this is that the municipalities find that the day care

institutions' management is central to whether the employees choose to find other paths. Further training

of the other staff is also used, because the functional managers find that professional development is

important for the employees. A small selection of relevant courses and - for some institutions – the great

distances to the educational institutions are, however, challenging.

Interviews with the functional managers confirm that salary level and structures in the day care area

contribute to the problems of retaining staff. Firstly, because the pedagogues can get higher salaries by

working in the primary and lower secondary schools, secondly because it is not worth in relation to salaries

for experienced pedagogues to take the decentralised social pedagogue education. However, it is not only

120

the salary that matters, but also that the work is experienced as physically and psychologically hard

compared to jobs in schools and residential institutions.

Area of Intervention I:

In order to support the municipalities' children's and youth policy and the work on pedagogical annual

plans for the individual day care facilities and their evaluation, cf. § 5 subs. 3 of the Preschool Act,

Naalakkersuisut recommends that local strategies be prepared for hiring, attracting and retaining

pedagogical staff, including in the settlements.

Why:

To support the municipalities' child and youth policy and the preparation of pedagogical annual plans that

contribute to the improvement of opportunities to live up to the vision of the strategy and action plan and

the provisions of the Preschool Act, and thus live up to the requirement of the Preschool Act to provide day

care for all children of preschool age.

Expected Effect:

Politically and administratively, a management tool is created in relation to children and young people and

the pedagogical work of the day care institutions and in relation to the recruitment, attraction and

retention of the staff who perform the daily work of implementing the municipality's political objectives.

Time Frame, Responsibility and Economy:

By March 2019 as a municipal responsibility. Not expected to produce additional expenses for the

Government or the municipalities, but is expected to reduce the municipal costs for advertising, training of

new staff, etc.

Area of Intervention II:

Naalakkersuisut establishes more detailed rules for the municipal council's general and pedagogical

supervision of all day care facilities.

Why:

In order to better evaluate the Strategy and Action Plan, follow up on this and adjust the Strategy and

Action Plan, and to facilitate the municipalities in their work to implement the legislation in relation to the

supervision of all day care facilities, Naalakkersuisut prepares more detailed rules for the supervision in

121

accordance with § 5 subs. 4 of Inatsisartutlov no. 16 of 3 December 2012 on pedagogically developing

offers for children of preschool age.

Expected Effect:

Better basis for evaluation of the preschool area and of the Strategy and Action Plan. Improved

opportunities for municipalities to live up to their supervisory obligation.

Time Frame and Responsibility:

By the end of 2018, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Church.

Area of Intervention III:

Preparation of a salary statistics showing the salary level for different groups of professional bachelors:

pedagogues, nurses, teachers, incl. preschool teachers and social workers showing initial salary, final

salary and average salary. For the pedagogues, they are divided into pedagogues in the day care and

residential institution area, respectively. In addition, the same salary statistics are prepared for social

helpers and social assistants.

Why:

Because the study suggests that salary levels contribute to retention problems and in order to compare the

salary levels of the different groups of professional bachelors as well as the other pedagogically trained

staff.

Expected Effect:

Overview of the actual salary conditions.


At the end of 2018. The Agency for Education in collaboration with Statistics Greenland, Economy and

Human Resources and the National Board of Health and Welfare.

122

Focus Area 2: Education and Upgrading of Skills42

Description of current conditions of importance for education and upgrading of skills:

Managers more often than other employees receive continuous training. Three-quarters of the managers have been on

a course within the last year. 15 % of the other staff at the day care institutions have been on a continuing education

or upgrading course within the last year. It is more often the pedagogues and pedagogical staff who carry out further

training compared with unskilled staff. Although the need for upgrading, according to the heads of the institutions, is

greatest among the unskilled childcare assistants, it is thus other employee groups that receive continuous training.

Since 2007, a total of 3,200 students have participated in pedagogical training or upgrading courses at CSE. However,

since 2015, the number of students has halved. Interviews with the functional managers indicate that the distance to

the programmes constitutes a challenge for the institutions. Several highlight the development program

Meeqqerivitsialak, where a travel team teaches at the institutions, as a possible solution.

In 2016, there were 477 qualified pedagogues in the labour market in Greenland. There were about 759 primary school

teachers, 255 nurses, 412 social workers, 64 social assistants, 368 social helpers and 41 with another pedagogical

education. The number of older pedagogues who are facing pension is low. This suggests that the supply of

pedagogues will not fall drastically in the coming years. The same holds true for primary school teachers, so a large

increase in demand for pedagogues to replace retired teachers is also not forthcoming.

The pedagogues work in a wide range of areas from administration to teaching. However, the majority (83%) work in

the public sector. The majority (83 %) work in traditional pedagogical areas. Either in the private or public education,

social and health area. About 17 % are not employed in the traditional pedagogical fields. They work either in the

public administration, as self-employed or are without employment.

Since 2011, the number of people who carry out an education every year has grown. This is due to the fact that the

annual admission to the pedagogue training programmes has increased, while a larger share of newcomers

simultaneously completes an education. This is a positive development that makes Greenland better able to meet the

need for pedagogues in the labour market.

The most likely future scenario is that between 24 and 27 pedagogues will be trained annually. The number is greatest

in the coming years, but falls towards 2040, because the younger cohorts are smaller.

The most likely scenario is a growing supply of pedagogues in Greenland in the future. Only when we calculate a large

decline in admission or implementation rates compared to the current level, we see a scenario where the number of

42 Work is ongoing, alongside this strategy and action plan, for pedagogical staff at day care institutions, with the purpose of describing education and upgrading initiatives for social workers and pedagogues in the residential institution area. There will be a lot of overlap between the efforts for the day care area and the residential institution area, respectively, requiring close coordination.

123

pedagogues will be smaller in the coming years than today. The number of primary and lower secondary school

teachers will also grow in the coming years, which is why there will be a need for fewer pedagogues who work as

teachers in the elementary school in the future. The development is due to the fact that more people complete training

than people retire with the current admission rate.


Naalakkersuisut recommends an evaluation of Perorsaanermik Ilinniarfik / the College of Social

Education (PI / CSE), the decentralised pedagogue education programme and the supply of courses,

continuing and further education initiatives and their coordination.

Why:

Because the importance of the pedagogues' education and the upgrading of employees in general is

emphasised by research (including the Social Research Institute 2014, the Evaluation Institute's evaluation

of the teacher education and the elementary school, 2015), showing that the employees' competences are

of great importance for the children's development.

PI / CSE and the decentralised pedagogue education programme are primarily responsible for equipping

the future pedagogues professionally in order to carry out the task in the day care facilities. The mapping

that was done prior to the preparation of this Strategy and Action Plan (Epinion, 2017) shows that the staff

of the day care institutions participate to a limited extent in continuing education activities, and that the

extent of continuing education decreases with the level of education. At the same time, the proportion of

students since 2015 has halved at PI / CSE.

PI / CSE is in charge of a considerable part of the continuing education of the pedagogical staff in the day

care area, but at the same time the financial resources for continuing and further education of pedagogical

staff and upgrading of untrained staff are in the hands of different ministries, agencies and educational

institutions, as well as some municipalities and some institutions have their own funds for this activity,

which at present is not coordinated, which is why it is very difficult to get an overall overview of the

relevance, quality and, not least, the effect of the courses offered and continuing and further education

initiatives.

In order to create the best basis for education and upgrading of the pedagogical staff, respectively, there is

a need for further description, documentation and evaluation of PI / CSE, the decentralised pedagogue

education programme and the supply of courses, continuing education and the coordination of these.

124

How:

The evaluation must at least contain the following parameters:

What education programmes and courses are available?

What is the content of the individual programmes and courses?

What is the quality of the programmes and the courses available?

How does the distance to the educational institution affect the young people's choice of education, and how does the distance affect the continuous education activities?

How does the content and quality of education and course offerings align with the goals of the strategy and action plan, and with the demands of the municipalities and day care facilities?

The importance of the language of instruction for the choice of education for young people

Admission requirements and credit transfer options

Links with other programmes

Curricula and study descriptions

An analysis of the relationship between and the conditions for the decentralised pedagogue education programme and the decentralised teacher education programme

Since a similar evaluation must be made in relation to the residential institution area and the pedagogical

staff's professionalism in relation to working with children with neglect, abuse etc., it is important that

these evaluations are coordinated. Coordination must be in relation to the evaluation itself but also the

future work of organising any changes in curricula.

Expected Effect:

The evaluation gives an insight into the outcome and effect of education programmes, courses and

continuing education and the coordination of these.

Time Frame:

Planning in 2019, implementation in 2020. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Church convenes an

initial meeting.


A plan must be prepared for the upgrading of non-qualified assistants, including support persons based

on an individual assessment of competence and through individually organised, Greenlandic speaking

125

competence-giving courses, including examining the possibility of offering qualifying courses as e-

learning.

Why:

Because more than half of the total number of working hours in day care institutions is provided by

unskilled educators.

Expected Effect:

More trained staff in the day care institutions.


The plan is prepared before the end of 2019. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Church, together with

PI / CSE, is responsible for the implementation of the plan.


A coordination group is set up to get a better overview of all the funds for courses as well as continuing

and further education within the Government and the municipalities, which at the same time must

ensure coordinated and coherent training courses for everyone working in the day care area.

Why:

Because there is currently no comprehensive overview of courses and continuing education for the day

care area funded by the Government and the municipalities, and because these are not coherent or

coordinated.

A similar work is underway to uncover funds targeted at the social area, which is why it is important that

these are coordinated.

Expected Effect:

More efficient and coordinated use of the Government's and municipalities' funds for courses and

continuing and further education in the day care area.


By the end of 2018. The Agency for Education is responsible for convening the first meeting.

126

Focus Area 3: Working Environment

Description of current conditions regarding working environment:

The heads of institutions use 61 % of their time on management-related tasks such as managerial and

administrative tasks. The rest of the staff use 89 % of their time with the children, as well as practical and

parent-related tasks. 4 % of the heads of institutions indicate that all or almost all their administrative tasks

can be handled by office staff.

91 % of the employees at day care institutions are satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs. The proportion is

slightly smaller among institutional leaders than with the other staff. There is the greatest satisfaction with

the tasks and the lowest satisfaction with the opportunities for professional development. The institution

leaders, in particular, are less satisfied with their opportunities for professional development.

Virtually everyone experiences that their work is meaningful, while 74 % experience having an influence on

the workload. This is especially true among the other staff. On the contrary, there is an improvement

potential in relation to the work pace and the support and recognition that the employees experience. Of

critical factors can be emphasised that 23 % experience having been subjected to bullying in the workplace

in the past year, while 16 % during the last two weeks constantly or often have felt stressed.

77 % emphasise that there is too much noise in day care institutions, while 69 % indicate that they must

work with bent back and often have to do lifts. About half indicate that it causes discomfort such as

shoulder and back pains. The other staff more often encounter the ergonomically challenging work positions

in their work than the leaders. The employees' opportunities to meet the physical challenges are greater

than the mental ones.


A working group is set up to prepare new and up-to-date rules regarding the establishment, furnishing,

management and operation of new day care institutions, who at the same time provides guidelines for

the use of older buildings as day care institutions.

Why:

Because there are no updated rules on the establishment and furnishing of day care institutions, cf. § 12,

subs. 3 of the Preschool Act.

127

Expected Effect:

That the physical requirements for both outdoor and indoor areas based on educational criteria and

principles are regulated.


The working group will be set up by the end of 2018 by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Church.


Establishment of management training programmes to ensure optimal conditions for the psychological

and physical working environment, as well as management coaching and supervision as well as teaching

in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Why:

Because it is a management task that the day care institution is operated properly and in accordance with

applicable rules, and because the management is responsible for the personnel matters, and that the

decisions or instructions of the user assembly or the board of directors are complied with, and it is a

management task to ensure that the institution meets the purpose of the law, among other things in

relation to the Children's Convention.

Expected Effect:

Happy, confident and motivated employees who can do targeted pedagogical activities with respect for the

rights of the child.

Time Frame, Responsibility and Economy:

Continuously. The Agency for Education pursuant to § 4, subs. 2, no. 4 of the Pre-school Act. This activity is

not expected to incur additional costs, as it is part of the continuing education activity in relation to the

implementation of the Preschool Act.


Naalakkersuisut stipulates more detailed rules on cooperation teams in accordance with §6, subs. 3 of

the Preschool Act.

Why:

128

The municipalities have each drawn up various guidelines regarding the cooperation on the individual child.

There is a need for these to be coordinated and assembled under some common rules in relation to the

cooperation on the individual children.

Expected Effect:

That all municipalities receive uniform and good working conditions in relation to the cooperation

surrounding the individual child.


2019. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Church.

129

Focus Area: IT Area

Description of current situation in the IT area

82 % and 76 %, respectively, of the parents find that there is a great or some need to be able to find

practical information about the day care facility online, and that there is a need for them to be informed

about their child's everyday life in the institution online or through an app with pictures and text.

In general, there is a need for better IT support among the staff in relation to sparring with colleagues (74

%), for managerial and administrative tasks (66 %), in the dialogue with parents (66 %) and in the

relationship with the children (59 %). Compared to the rest of the staff, the institutional leaders experience a

greater need for IT support for sparring with colleagues and for managerial and administrative tasks.

The Digitalisation Board, together with the Ministry of Education, Culture and Church, is developing various

types of IT tools for the teaching area.


A working group is set up with representatives of the municipalities, the Government and the

organisations to investigate existing possibilities for involving the preschool area in the overall

digitisation process.

Why:

Because there is a need to implement IT in day care institutions at four levels:

IT in relation to a common administrative tool

o General administration, communication

IT as a pedagogical tool - incl. exchange of experience

o Ethical guidelines, exchange of experience

IT as a tool to follow the individual child

o Follow development, early intervention

IT as a tool for communicating with parents and profiling of the institution

Expected Effect:

The administrative work becomes more manageable.

130

IT is involved in everyday life as a pedagogical tool and for the exchange of experience among the

pedagogical staff.

The development of the individual children can be followed over time, and thus contribute to assessing the

effect of the efforts initiated.

Quick contact with parents and profiling of the institution.


The working group will be set up by the end of 2018 by the Agency for Education in collaboration with the

Digitisation Board.

131

Focus Area 5: Evaluation, Monitoring and Adjustment of Initiatives in

the Preschool Area

Description of the current situation regarding evaluation and monitoring of interventions in the preschool

area

In the period 2009-2011, an annual survey of several areas has been carried out in relation to the

implementation of the preschool regulation of 2008 with the aim of being able to measure the effect of the

reform work and the implementation process in the long term.

In accordance with § 4, subs. 2 of Inatsisartutlov no. 16 of 3 December 2012 on pedagogically developing

offers for children of preschool age, it is the responsibility of Naalakkersuisut, among others, to develop

tools for statistical data collection (no. 6) and tools for screening children's health, development and school

readiness (no. 7), the latter being seen as a continuation of Naalakkersuisut's Education Strategy. The Act

clarifies that it is the responsibility of Naalakkersuisut to develop the tools to be used in relation to screening

preschool children and deals with the issue of securing tools for measuring the child's linguistic and

cognitive development and school readiness in a way that ensures that already used tools are made

operational and systematised for actual use.


Ongoing Evaluation from 2018-2022

An analysis and evaluation design will be set up running from 2018 to 2022. The purpose is to prepare an

annual report, which describes the implementation of the individual efforts and the results and effects

achieved in relation to the objective.

The ongoing evaluation can advantageously be coordinated with similar initiatives in the social area.

The evaluation design should primarily focus on the implementation of the Strategy and Action Plan in the

first part of the evaluation period, and the impact and effect of the efforts at the end of the period.

An analysis and evaluation design could include the following elements:

Baseline measurement (2018). Measurement of status on all indicators. Use of existing and

historical analyses and data to the extent possible.

Status note (2019). Status of some indicators. Focus on implementation of the Strategy and Action

plan.

132

Mid-term evaluation (2020). Status of all indicators. Focus on implementation of the Strategy and

Action Plan. Collection of qualitative and quantitative data to illustrate status and development.

Status note (2021). Status of some indicators. Focus on impact and effects of the Strategy and

Action Plan.

Final evaluation (2022). Status of all indicators. Focus on impact and effects of the Strategy and

Action Plan. Collection of qualitative and quantitative data to illustrate status and development.

There can be great variation in how the individual efforts are implemented. Therefore, an evaluation design

should both capture the implementation and effect of the individual effort as well as the results across.

This suggests the use of an impact assessment. Impact assessment is frequently used as an evaluation tool

in the areas of early intervention and education and also goes under the name of programme theory or

intervention theory.

Based on impact assessment, a change theory is prepared for the entire Strategy and Action Plan

containing all the individual initiatives implemented.

The above evaluation design is suitable for complex evaluations where there is a common framework for

the Strategy and Action Plan, but different forms of implementation and varying efforts.

The theories of change can be based on six levels - the overall effort, input, context, steps on the road,

objectives and overall goals.

In addition to uncovering the achievement of the objectives of the efforts, it should also be a central

objective of the evaluation to investigate whether the respective goals have been achieved with the

combined Strategy and Action Plan. The focus thus shifts again from the input level to the total effort.

Why:

Provides an insight into the implementation, outcome and effect of Strategy and Action Plan.

Expected Effect:

The evaluation gives an insight into the implementation, outcome and effect of the Strategy and Action

Plan, the introduction of an evaluation culture where actions are based on the evaluation.


2018-2022. The Agency for Education.


133

Continuous adjustment of the Strategy and Action Plan. Each year, during the follow-up group meeting,

the status of implementation and preliminary results of the Strategy and Action Plan are discussed, and

whether there is a need for adjustments of efforts, objectives, etc. The discussion takes place based on

the annual status report, cf. Area of Intervention I.

Why:

Relevant parties are updated on the status of implementation of the efforts of the Strategy and Action Plan

as well as their impact and decide on possible changes. The continuous adjustment means that any errors,

malfunctions etc. can be adjusted as early as possible.

Expected Effect:

The Strategy and Action Plan is updated and adjusted as needed.


Annual meeting. The Agency for Education.


An overall plan is prepared for data collection and evaluation of the implementation of the legislation as

well as the effect of all activities in connection with the implementation of the Preschool Act, including

the implementation of the APV, (workplace assessment) and ensuring that an evaluation culture is

established that, among other things, ensures that actions are based on the evaluations.

Why:

In order to be able to follow the evolution of the preschool area both in relation to the present Strategy

and Action Plan and in general, and particularly in order to assess the impact of initiated development

activities, the need for legislative adjustment and to ensure that the evaluations bring about the necessary

action.

Expected Effect:

The development within the preschool area and the effect of all the initiatives can be assessed over time,

and any need for adjusting the legal basis will be made visible, introducing an evaluation culture where

actions are based on evaluation.

134


This focus area is being developed together with the efforts in the IT area. The Agency for Education.

135

Overview of Responsibility by Area of Intervention

RESPONSIBILITY

Focus area 1: Recruitment and retention of staff

Area of Intervention I: To support the municipalities' child and youth policy and

work with pedagogical annual plans for the individual day care facilities and their

evaluation, cf. Preschool Act's §5, subs. 3, Naalakkersuisut recommends that local

strategies be prepared for hiring, attracting and retaining pedagogical staff,

including in the settlements. The municipalities

Area of Intervention II: Naalakkersuisut lays down detailed rules for the municipal

council's general and pedagogical supervision of all day care facilities.

The Ministry of

Education

Area of Intervention III: Preparation of a salary statistics showing the salary level

for different groups of professional bachelors: pedagogues, nurses, teachers, incl.

preschool teachers and social workers showing initial salary, final salary and

average salary. As for the pedagogues, they are divided into pedagogues in the

day care and residential institution area, respectively. In addition, the same salary

statistics are prepared for social helpers and social assistants.

The Agency for

Education

Focus Area 2: Education and Upgrading of Skills

Area of Intervention I: Naalakkersuisut recommends an evaluation of

Perorsaanermik Ilinniarfik / the College of Social Education (PI / CSE), the

decentralised pedagogue education programme and the supply of courses,

continuing and further education initiatives and their coordination.

The Ministry of

Education convenes

an initial meeting

Area of Intervention II: A plan must be prepared for upgrading non-qualified

assistants, including support persons based on an individual assessment of

competence and through individually designed, Greenlandic speaking

competence-giving courses, including examining the possibility of offering

qualifying courses as e-learning.

The Ministry of

Education together

with PI/ CSE

Area of Intervention III: A coordination group is set up to create a better overview

of all funds for courses as well as continuing and further education within the

Government and the municipalities, which at the same time must ensure

coordinated and coherent training courses for everyone who works with people.

The Education Agency

is responsible for

convening the first

meeting

136

Focus Area 3: The Working Environment

Area of Intervention I: A working group is set up to prepare new and up-to-date

rules regarding the creation, furnishing, management and operation of new day

care institutions, who at the same time provides guidelines for the use of older

buildings as day care institutions.

The Agency for

Education

Area of Intervention II: Establishment of management training programmes to

ensure optimal conditions for the psychological and physical working

environment, as well as management coaching and supervision and teaching in

the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Agency for

Education

Area of Intervention III: Naalakkersuisut stipulates more detailed rules on

cooperation teams, cf. § 6, subs 3 of the Inatsisartut Act on pedagogically

developing day care facilities for preschool children.

The Ministry of

Education

Focus Area 4: IT Area

Area of Intervention I: A working group is set up with representatives of the

municipalities, the Government and the organisations to examine existing

possibilities for involving the preschool area in the overall digitisation process.

The Agency for

Education

Focus Area 5: Evaluation, Monitoring and Adjustment of the Strategy and Action

Plan

Area of Intervention I: Continuous evaluation from 2018-2022. The Agency for

Education

Area of Intervention II: Continuous adjustment of the Strategy and Action Plan.

Each year, during the follow-up group meeting, the status of implementation and

preliminary results of the Strategy and Action Plan are discussed, and whether

there is a need for adjustments of efforts, objectives, etc. The discussion takes

place based on the annual status report, cf. Area of Intervention I.

The Agency for

Education

Area of Intervention III: An overall plan for data collection and evaluation of the

implementation of the legislation and the effect of all activities in connection with

the implementation of the Preschool Act, including the implementation of the

APV, (workplace assessment) and ensuring that an evaluation culture is

introduced which includes actions based on the evaluations.

The Agency for

Education

Documents

Greenland Education Programme II - Naalakkersuisut/media/Nanoq/Files/Attached Files... · and the results from Nuuk Internationale Friskole – the private school in Nuuk – were