Several years of efforts to get a larger share of young people in education after completing primary school have not paid off, shows the latest report on young people in education or employment from 2024.
Statistics Greenland states the following:
The Minister of Education, Nivi Olsen, denies that politicians have been sleeping in class and have not done enough.
A complex challenge
- The figures from Statistics Greenland are actively used as a basis for political efforts. They show that this is a complex challenge that requires persistent and long-term action. At the same time, the figures show a development that is moving gradually. Therefore, it is not a fair picture to claim that no action is being taken in this area, Nivi Olsen tells Sermitsiaq.
She points out that one of the main focus areas in the education strategy for the years 2024 to 2030 is precisely the effort to ensure that more young people continue their education after primary school.
- The youth area has had a high political priority for several years, and targeted work is being done to strengthen young people's opportunities through better guidance, the establishment of more flexible and practice-oriented educational paths, and closer interaction between education and the labor market, says Nivi Olsen, adding:
Strengthening primary school
- Therefore, there is continued focus on strengthening the quality of primary school, facilitating the transition to upper secondary education and ensuring educational opportunities that are more likely to be experienced as relevant and realistic for young people.
Nivi Olsen explains that this is a complex group, and “the solutions must therefore be differentiated”. In this context, she refers to the fact that efforts include “the recently launched campaign to focus on vocational training and more places for apprentices and trainees”.
Not unambiguously negative
- The path to education is not the same for all young people. It is therefore nor unambiguously negative that more young people are in employment.
For some, early attachment to the labour market can contribute to clarification and motivation, as well as be a step towards later education, emphasizes Nivi Olsen and states that the Government of Greenland continues to prioritize the work of strengthening young people’s opportunities very highly.
