6th form in the public secondary schools. Most of the applicants have passed
the “Realskole”-examination (see p. I, 385 foil.).
The subjects of instruction are: a) obligatory: Swedish, German, English,
French, Book-Keeping, Commercial Arithmetic, The Science of Commerce, Chemistry
and Knowledge of Merchandise, Commercial Geography and the History
of Commerce, Economics, Political Science, Commercial Law, Shorthand, Calligraphy,
and Type-writing; b) optional: Spanish and Russian.
To the higher one-year’s course, only those students are admitted, as a rule,
who have passed the “Student”-Examination (Matriculation see p. I, 385 foil.).
The subjects are the same as for the two-years’ course, though a somewhat
greater freedom of choice is usually permitted.
At Schartau’s Commercial Institute there is also a lower one-year’s course,
intended for pupils from senior forms below the Matriculation Form, or for those
who have gone through the 8 forms of the girls’ secondary schools. At the
Halsingborg and Malmo Institutes, pupils with higher attainments, especially
those who have passed the “Student’-Examination, may enter the second-year’s
forms at once.
Pupils of both sexes are admitted to all the courses. During the Autumn
Term of 1914 the number- of pupils at the commercial gymnasiums was as
follows: Gothenburg 191 (including 27 girls), Stockholm 155 (23), Malmo 57
(5), Halsingborg 41 (9), Örebro 34 (17), Gavle 9, (1), making a total of
487 (82).
The average age of those admitted to the two-years’ course is somewhat
over 17.
A pupil who has gone through the full course in a satisfactory way, and has
taken the written and oral examinations, receives a certificate testifying to his
diligence and good conduct during the courses, and specifying the degree |o f
proficiency he has attained in the subjects studied.
A certificated pupil has the right to a further examination in any subject
in which he has not yet been approved, or in which he has not attained a
high degree of proficiency.
A satisfactory pass from the commercial gymnasiums’ two-years’ course, together
with the “Realskole’-examination, gives the right of entrance to the High School
of Commerce in Stockholm, qualifies for an appointment in the Customs Service
or in the Bank of Sweden, and for a cadetship in the reserve. The same
pass, without the ”Realskole”-examination, qualifies for an appointment under the
State Railways Board, or in the traffic department of the State Railways.
In conformity with the statute of November 28, 1913, a permanent staff
is to be appointed in the State-supported scholastic institutions. Members 'of
the staff are to receive at least the same remuneration as assistant masters in
the public secondary schools, i. e., 3 000— 5 000 kronor pro tern.
The head-master is to receive, in addition to his stipend, the sum of not less
than 2 000 kronor. In point of fact, the remuneration of the staff in Gothenburg
and Stockholm exceeds by 500 kronor per member the minimum rate“of
remuneration appointed by statute, and the head-masters are also placed on a
more favourable footing. At the Gothenburg Commercial Institute, both the
head-master and the members of the staff are entitled, on reaching the age of
65, to a pension of 4 000 and 3 000 kronor, respectively. The Gothenburg
Commercial Institute has at present on the permanent staff a head-master and
6 assistant masters, the commercial gymnasiums in Stockholm, Malmo, and Örebro,
a head-master and one assistant on the permanent staff, each. At the Halsingborg
Commercial Gymnasium the post of head-master is filled by a member
of the staff of one of the public secondary schools there. The Gavle Bor-
garskola has a staff of four masters, exclusive of the head-master.
The financial position of the commercial institutes was formerly dependent
mainly on the pupils’ fees, which were fairly high, varying between 225 and
320 kronor per annum. A considérable number of the pupils, about 50 % at
the two older institutes, were however excused part of or all the fees, thanks
to the Government grant, which was shared between the two institutes in proportion
to the remissions conceded. From 1914 onwards, the annual fees for pupils
in the two-years’ course are 150 kronor, and in the one-year’s course they
are slightly higher. Exemption from fees, either in whole or part, still goes
I on, though the need for the latter has somewhat diminished.
The State grant is fixed at a certain maximum figure for each of the gymnasiums,
viz., Gothenburg 40 000 kr., Stockholm 30 000 kr., Malmo and Örebro
15 000 kr. each. The commercial gymnasium in Halsingborg enjoys, as we
have before mentioned, an extraordinary grant of 10 000 kr. All -the commercial
gymnasiums are furthermore supported by the communes or mercantile
corporations. A distinct position is occupied by the Gavle Borgarskola, which
has at its disposal donations amounting to over 1 100 000 kr. It enjoys no
State grant, but has an annual grant of about 2 000 kr. from the town.
At Pihlman Brothers’ Commercial Institute in Stockholm, a higher two-years
course, starting at the standard of the “Realskole’-examination, has recently been
organized on the pattern of the commercial gymnasiums. It is also Government-
inspected.
Kristinehamn Practical School has a one-year’s course with the same entrance
qualification.
The commercial gymnasiums are under the control of the Board of Trade,
chiefly excercised by a commercial inspector appointed by the Government.
B. Lower Commercial Education in Sweden has not yet taken a settled
form.; The committee mentioned above, which considered the question of
commercial training, had held out the prospect of the establishment of
lower-grade commercial schools in a • large number- of towns. Delegates
who have since been summoned recently proposed the establishment of 4
two-years’-course commercial schools for pupils who have passed through
the 6 years’ course in the elementary schools, and of 4 one-year’s-course
commercial schools for pupils with the same qualifications plus at least
two years’ practical work in the service of trade or industry, who during
the said period have attended continuation classes.
Of the two-years’-course commercial schools, only one was to be independent;
the remaining three were to come into being by remodelling higher elementary
schools, and were to remain in close touch with elementary school instruction
in general.
In common with the higher commercial schools, these latter were also to be
under the inspection of inspectors of commercial education.
The annual cost of these 8 schools, once they have got into full working order,
is estimated at 76 400 kr.
Some scheme for the working arrangements of the commercial evening schools
may be expected before long.
Of the existing lower commercial schools, the most important is the commercial
side of the Stockholm, Borgarskola, s tarted in 1887, which includes both
day and evening classes. The school itself was founded in 1836, enjoys a considerable
grant from the City of Stockholm, and has a very large number of
pupils. Further may be mentioned Sundsvall Commercial Institute, which also
has day-courses, Landskrona Technical Trade-School and Commercial Institute,