Grindavík is preparing to resume preschool and compulsory school education this autumn for the first time since the town was evacuated due to volcanic unrest in November 2023.
Municipal authorities say recruitment is nearly complete ahead of the new school year, with 43 pupils currently enrolled. The reopening is seen as a key step in rebuilding everyday life in the southwest Iceland community, where more than 400 people are now living despite continued uncertainty over housing and geological conditions.
What’s the Story?
Original source: RÚV
- Forty-three pupils are currently registered to attend school in Grindavík this autumn.
- Teacher recruitment is nearing completion for the town’s combined preschool and compulsory school.
- A new geological risk assessment is expected to support the town’s gradual reopening.
School Plans Advance
Guðbjörg Eyjólfsdóttir, chair of Grindavík’s municipal council, said the municipality appointed the headteacher for the combined preschool and compulsory school earlier this year.
She said pupil numbers could still increase, as more former residents have expressed interest in returning, although housing shortages remain a significant obstacle.
No schooling has taken place in Grindavík since residents were evacuated because of seismic activity in November 2023. Earlier this year, the Icelandic government said conditions did not support reopening schools or encouraging more families with children to return because of ongoing uncertainty over volcanic activity.
According to Guðbjörg, work is now underway on a new risk assessment that could allow the town to reopen more fully. She said recent discussions with the Ministry of Education, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Prime Minister had been constructive.
Guðbjörg described restoring education as essential to the town’s recovery. Around 400 people currently live in Grindavík, while just under 1,000 remain registered as residents.
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