[{"bbox": [129, 105, 1146, 159], "category": "List-item", "text": "3. Augmenting efficiency in the Greenlandic education system, improve spending, increase education completion, and improve education sector coordination with municipalities"}, {"bbox": [82, 184, 1146, 343], "category": "Text", "text": "The action aims at tackling specific bottlenecks that have stalled progress in the past, such as oversight of and coordination with the municipalities to implement reforms and regulations. The action will also make use of new opportunities and provide some innovations, such as better use of IT and e-learning for remote locations, a new focus on guidance and social counselling, new market-oriented and attractive vocational education and training (VET) curricula, and an added aspect of entrepreneurial and innovation skills that ties in well with the second sector of the Greenland MIP, Green Growth."}, {"bbox": [82, 370, 1146, 478], "category": "Text", "text": "Lessons learnt from previous programmes include the need for a holistic approach due to the complex nature of Greenland's challenges, the identification of the transition period between lower secondary and upper secondary/vocational education and training as a crucial point requiring improved guidance, and the need for programmes that are more inclusive across several dimensions."}, {"bbox": [82, 503, 1146, 557], "category": "Text", "text": "The implementation of this action will be accompanied by complementary measures such as technical assistance, to be financed from the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) Technical Cooperation Facility."}, {"bbox": [72, 610, 302, 644], "category": "Section-header", "text": "# 2. RATIONALE"}, {"bbox": [109, 673, 243, 702], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 2.1. Context"}, {"bbox": [82, 744, 443, 769], "category": "Section-header", "text": "### General context, rationale and outlook"}, {"bbox": [82, 770, 1146, 931], "category": "Text", "text": "The strategic role of Greenland is increasing (raw materials, climate change, Arctic matters, security and connectivity), attracting attention of global players (US, China, Russia) and warranting a proactive EU. The recently published Joint communication “A stronger EU engagement for a peaceful, sustainable and prosperous Arctic”² calls for a further strengthening and deepening of the partnership between the European Commission and the Government of Greenland, including through cooperation and dialogue in areas of common interest. In parallel, plans to set up a European Commission office in Nuuk are advancing, as mentioned in the new Arctic policy."}, {"bbox": [82, 955, 1146, 1273], "category": "Text", "text": "Over the years the EU partnership with Greenland has deepened and broadened as evidenced by the high-level discussions in the last political Forum in December 2020, as well as the new agreement on a sustainable fisheries partnership concluded in early 2021³. At highest political level both Greenland and the EU agree that continued cooperation is of mutual importance including a strong emphasis on education. Indeed, a more effective, efficient and more inclusive education system is a prerequisite for the development of a sustainable, robust and diversified economy, given Greenland's small population, enormous geographical expanse and a strong reliance on fishery as the mainstay of the economy. Education levels in Greenland remain the lowest in the Nordic countries, and the lack of qualified labour is a crucial barrier to further diversified and sustainable economic development: About half of all 25-64 year olds have no education above the lower-secondary level (compared to about one fourth in other Nordic countries). Difficulties to access education and inclusive education services by learners with disabilities exist especially due to lack of staff. The timely adoption of the proposed intervention will send a strong signal of support to the new GoG."}, {"bbox": [82, 1299, 1146, 1567], "category": "Text", "text": "Since 2007, Greenland has significantly relied on EU budget support for its education sector underpinned by an in-depth policy dialogue with the EU. With the support, Greenland has managed notably to increase the share of children in day-care, to create more diversified educational options (especially for young people with fewer opportunities), develop online provision of education (and educational guidance) to remote settlements, and not least increase recruitment to secondary and higher education and training despite an overall drop in youth population. Despite these advances, significant challenges still remain, notably with regard to drop-out and early leaving of pupils and students. Also, the difficulties of recruiting qualified staff for day care institutions and primary/lower secondary schools (in particular in remote settlements) remain high, despite targeted remedial action over the past years. Moreover, coordination between the central and municipal levels requires further strengthening to deepen the sector reform. Social guidance would holistically enhance wellbeing in the educational system and thus reinforce learning outcomes"}, {"bbox": [72, 1612, 218, 1636], "category": "Footnote", "text": "² JOIN (2021)27"}, {"bbox": [72, 1637, 784, 1663], "category": "Footnote", "text": "³ EU and Greenland reach agreement on new fisheries partnership (europa.eu)"}, {"bbox": [1051, 1663, 1158, 1688], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 4 of 35"}]