to suck libraries. Out of this grant, various amounts up to
200 kr. are given to eack municipality. In order to obtain tke
government grant, an equal amount must be procured from local
sources. Tbere are about 650 free libraries of from 100 to
10.000 volumes. In several towns tbere are municipal libraries,
among them being the Deichmann Library in Kristiania, numbering-
about 50,000 volumes, and the Bergen Public Library, with about
80.000 volumes.
III. SECONDARY AND HIGHER EDUCATION.
At the beginning of the century, Norway bad only 4 grammar-
schools or classical schools (lserde skoler, latinskoler), in which
higher education was given. By degrees, others were erected,
some with «real» courses connected with them, as well as middle-
class and «real» schools (borger- og realskoler) *). The higher
public education was re-organised by an act of the 17th June,
1869. By the regulations then introduced, the so-called «middelskole
» became the school in which was combined instruction both
for those who desired a satisfactory general middle-class education,
terminating with the middelskole, and for those who wished to lay
the foundation for a continued higher education. The course was
6 years, for children from 9 to 15. The further education, which,
inter alia, prepared for the University, was given in «Gymnasia»,
in a 3 years’ course, intended for young people of ages from 15 to
18. Some of the gymnasia were classical gymnasia (latingymnasier)
where Latin and Greek were the principal subjects; some «real»
gymnasia (realgymnasier), where English, mathematics and natural
science occupied a prominent place. The act of 1869 has now been
succeeded by the school act of the 27th July, 1896,
The act of 1869 had aimed at a connection between the higher
school and the primary school, in such a way that the latter might
become a common school for all classes of children during the
three first years of their school-life (6^9). The primary school,
*) In «real» schools, as distinct from «latin» schools, the elements of science,
modern languages, and commercial subjects were taught instead of Latin
and Greek.
however, was at that time not so well adapted for this, and in
most places therefore, 3 1-year preparation classes were associated
with the middelskole. As th e ' town primary schools gradually
improved, attempts were made in several places to form a connection
between the higher and the lower schools, even beyond the
first three school years; and by the act of 1896, an organic connection
has now been brought about between the secondary school
and the primary school in the towns. In accordance with this
act, the secondary school builds upon the two first divisions of
the town primary school (with voluntary instruction in the second
division). The primary school is to be, in general, the common
preparatory school for all children for the first 5 years of schooling;
at any rate, it is the only government-supported school for children
of this age. At present, there are, however, some preparatory
schools in connection with private higher schools.
The secondary school is also divided by the act of 1896, into
middelskole and gymnasium. The middelskole course is generally
4 years (intended for children between 11 and 15). According
to the act, the course must not be made longer, but may be
shorter, if the middelskole in any place can be connected with
the primary school higher up than after the latter’s 5th year. The
gymnasium course is 3 years. The aim of the school is given in
the act as follows: «The middelskole is a school for children,
which, in nnion with the primary school, gives its pnpils a complete,
thorough, general education, adapted to the receptivity of
childhood. The gymnasium is a school for young people, which
on the middelskole foundation, leads on to a complete, higher,
general education, which may also serve as a basis for scientific
studies. Both middelskole and gymnasium shall contribute to
the religious and moral training of the pupils, and it should also
be their common aim to develop the pupils both mentally and
physically into competent young people.»
Subjects. In the middelskole, instruction is given in the
following subjects: Religious knowledge, Norwegian, German,
English, history, geography, science, arithmetic and mathematics,
drawing, writing, manual work, gymnastics and singing. Eor girls
there is also instruction in domestic economy. In the plan of instruction
adopted by the Ecclesiastical Department for the middelskole,
the division of the weekly lessons is as follows (see the table,
next page.)