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THE SCHOOL SYSTEM OF NORWAY

DAVID ALLEN ANDERSON, Ph.D.

RICHARD G. BADGER
THE GORHAM PRESS
BOSTON

_Copyright, 1913, by Richard G. Badger
All rights reserved_

_The Gorham Press, Boston, U. S. A._




AUTHOR'S PREFACE


This account is a descriptive statement of the organization, management,
operation, and efficiency of the public school system of Norway. The
intent has been to consider only the more vital features, those
essentials which definitely shape the products of educational endeavor.
Many topics of interest have been touched but briefly while others have
been omitted altogether. Some attention has been given to pointing out
good qualities of the Norwegian schools and to indicating wherein we
might improve our own.

The materials entering into the make-up of this dissertation were
gathered during a summer and autumn devoted to travel and study in
Norway. Much time was spent in study at the University Library in
Christiania and still more in the visitation of schools. It was with
pleasure that I availed myself of the opportunity to see the schools in
operation. I observed recitations throughout the entire program of study
in every grade from the kindergarten to the University. I also visited
many special schools and other educational institutions both public and
private. Further than this, I was benefited by frequent conferences with
the leading educators of the country and by almost constant associations
with schoolmen, patrons, and students. These personal investigations
enabled me to become familiar with the spirit and work of the schools,
and they furnish background for a large part of the content of this
treatise. Since no adequate account of the schools of Norway is in
print, the authority for this work has been gained chiefly from school
laws, annual reports from the Department of Ecclesiastical and
Educational Affairs (chiefly statistical), and the individual research
referred to above.

It was my good fortune to be provided with official credentials as
holder of a Traveling Fellowship for study in Norway from the State
University of Iowa; a commission to study the school system of Norway
from His Excellency, B. F. Carroll, the Governor of the State of Iowa;
and a letter of introduction to Norway's educational executives from
Hon. Elmer Ellsworth Brown, at that time Commissioner of Education for
the United States. These credentials had the effect of intensifying the
already superior courtesy and obliging disposition of the Norwegian
officials and schoolmen, who gave me free access to every facility for
the pursuance of my work within the state and voluntarily offered their
cooperation whenever I might desire it. Their gracious exemplification
of the spirit of brotherly kindness made my work among them a constant
delight. I desire to express my gratitude to the Norwegians wherever I
traveled for the rare cordiality characterizing my reception among them
and to acknowledge my obligations to J. K. Qvigstad, _chef for Kirk-og
Undervisningsdepartmentet_; Knut Johannes Hougen, _byraachef for
Undervisningsvaesen_; A. H. Raeder, _Undervisningsraadets_ formand;
Johan Andreas Johnsen, _Skoledirektoren i Kristiania stift_; Otto
Andreas Anderssen, _Bestyrer og forstelaerer i det Paedagogiske Seminar
for Laerere red hoiere Almenskoler_, for valuable suggestions and
careful reading and criticism of the entire work in manuscript; further
to Iowa's Board of Education and the Graduate Faculty of the