Nuuk’s long-delayed school finally opens to nearly 1,000 pupils

Nearly 1,000 pupils have started at Inussuk School in the Greenlandic capital Nuuk after more than two years of construction problems, DR reports.

For Lily, it was her first day of school. She began first grade at the new school in central Nuuk, accompanied by her younger brother, Luca.

Many in Nuuk regard the opening as a small miracle. The school project cost 634 million kroner and had been stalled for more than two years.

A troubled school project

The project was announced in 2019, and construction began in 2020. The school was intended to replace two older schools affected by mould.

Greenlandic media outlets KNR and Sermitsiaq later reported that frost had shifted the foundations by several centimetres and that joints in the concrete were allowing moisture to enter.

The school was formally inaugurated in 2023 but remained empty for several years. Authorities also struggled to document that the building met fire-safety requirements, to the extent that the municipality could not justify moving the approximately 1,000 pupils from the two older schools into the new facilities.

Because the pupils could not remain in buildings affected by mould, they were instead spread across a number of improvised school facilities around the city.

Ready for pupils

Inussuk is the Greenlandic word for a cairn, a pile of stones used as a landmark in nature. After years of waiting, the school is now ready for use.

The damage has been repaired, and sprinklers have been installed to help prevent fires. Flags were raised along the facade, which is decorated with motifs of Arctic animals including Arctic hares and reindeer.

Pupils and teachers take off their boots when they enter the school. On the opening day, Lily and many of her new classmates wore kamik boots, traditional Greenlandic footwear.