The Municipality of Avannaata is unable to retain its teachers and is having difficulty recruiting new ones. According to the municipality itself, this is affecting the quality of education in its schools.
Teachers in Avannaata Municipality are resigning because the housing provided by the municipality is not up to standard. This is stated in the municipality’s quarterly financial report, which the municipal council reviewed on Friday, September 25.
The housing shortage also makes it difficult to hire new staff. The municipality states that the staffing situation means that the remaining school administrators and teachers must work longer hours, and that this “will affect the quality of the schools.” The new full-day school has not yet hired any staff.
Because there is a shortage of teachers, the municipality is paying more for substitute teachers and untrained staff on an hourly wage. According to the report, expenses for temporary housing and translation are significantly over budget.
Budget Based on Vacant Positions
Normally, school budgets increase every year. The budget for 2027 has neither been increased nor decreased. The municipality states that, due to the rising number of unfilled positions, the budget is based on what the schools actually spend. The pay raises from the teachers’ collective bargaining agreement through IMAK have not yet been factored in either.
The same pattern holds true for daycare. In Oqaatsut and Upernavik Kujalleq, the funds allocated for daycare have not been used, even though there are children on the waiting list, because there are no daycare providers.
The municipality is currently building new housing for teachers in Uummannaq, Ikerasak, and Upernavik. According to the plan, these will be ready this year. Funds have also been allocated for teacher housing in Ukkusissat, Qaarsut, and Siorapaluk next year.
At the same meeting, the opposition proposed using the former student dormitory in Ilulissat for housing, in part to make it easier to recruit teachers. The majority, however, chose instead to convert the building into a residential care facility.
