Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 19/01) - It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity these students weren't going to miss.

Ten Students from Edvard Kruse school in Uummannaq, Greenland, are spending about a month in Rankin Inlet.

The top priorities for the visiting students are improving their English skills and interacting with other Inuit.

Another eight Edvard Kruse students are spending the month at Inukshuk High in Iqaluit.

Alaittuq High principal Donald Clark says the students have been attending classes, living with families in the community and enjoying Rankin Inlet hospitality.

"The group went out boating and whale hunting with Simon Kowmuk, saw Marble Island and were actually part of a successful whale hunt," says Clark.

Caroline Lungskov, a teacher at Edvard Kruse school, is supervising the students' visit. She says Greenland's school system is quite different from Nunavut's.

"Basically, we have two Grade 11 classes at our school, one regular class and one advanced, or higher level class," says Lungskov.

"The students in the higher class come to Canada, but it's completely voluntary. They don't have to go if they don't want to."

Lungskov says the visiting students are claiming the time they've spent in Rankin so far has helped them become more open with the English language.

"They say they are not so afraid to speak English, but we will see in their final grades if their English has improved or not."

The students will be in Rankin until Oct. 1 and Lungskov says they've all been impressed by the level of hospitality they've received during their stay.

"Our first three days in Rankin we must have had 100 people come up, shake our hand and ask where we are from.

"It's a great experience and being part of a fishing trip and actually shooting a whale is a memory that will last a lifetime."