Greenland to prioritise English and Greenlandic in schools

Greenland’s parliament has unanimously approved a proposal to strengthen English and Greenlandic language instruction in schools, shifting focus away from Danish, Sermitsiaq reports.

The decision, made by the Inatsisartut parliament, requires the government to develop an action plan by next spring to elevate the status of both languages in education. Currently, Danish remains mandatory across all grade levels, with many teachers and teaching materials originating from Denmark.

While the Naleraq party pushed for English to immediately replace Danish as the first foreign language taught, the proposal lacked majority support. Education Minister Nivi Olsen of the Demokraatit party cautioned against rapid changes, citing potential negative consequences for students.

Under the existing system, English becomes compulsory only from the fourth grade, though many Greenlandic children already speak it fluently before then. Data from 2024 exams show over half of students achieve top marks in spoken English, compared to just 30% in Danish.

A significant number of Greenlandic students later pursue higher education in Denmark, where Danish proficiency remains essential.