Education -- Norway; School management and organization -- Norway
The secondary schools are either state or communal. The state schools
are provided with grounds, buildings, and equipment by the communes in
which they are located; the remaining expenses are met by state grants,
tuition fees, etc. The expense of maintaining communal schools falls
largely upon the communes. The state furnishes one-third of the salaries
in both classes of schools, and all additional amounts paid to teachers
because of long service. While most of the secondary schools charge
regular tuition fees, all of them have funds which supply free
scholarships to a number of pupils each year. In some communes they have
been able already to provide free middle schools, and it appears at
least possible that all state and communal schools may sometime be free.
The aim in financing the school system is to equalize the burden of
expense as far as possible, and to recognize, at the same time, the
efforts of those directly concerned. In order to obtain the best
results, authority has been strongly centralized; school boards,
communal and county councils, and state officials exercise large
discretionary powers.
VI. BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS
The school buildings of Norway are justly reputed to be the most
magnificent, best located, and finest edifices of the country. They are
built of substantial materials according to attractive architectural
designs, and are provided with liberal equipment. The larger buildings
are usually constructed of stone, brick and stone, or brick and cement;
while the smaller ones are built of lumber and stone. In the erection of
buildings, great care is exercised to make them spacious and permanent.
All materials used are selected because of their durability and
suitability to purpose. In order to guarantee the best hygienic
conditions, the law provides that buildings must meet the approval of
experts in hygiene before they can be used for school purposes. This
means that the services of these experts must be secured in getting out
designs for school buildings, whether in the erection of new or the
remodeling of old ones.
The school buildings are heated by furnaces or stoves. The newer ones
are modern in every respect and, of course, have excellent heating
systems. Those which have done service for several decades are usually
heated by stoves.
The buildings are divided into rooms in such a manner that the daylight
nearly always enters from the left or the rear of the pupils when they
are seated at their desks. This rule is disregarded only in rare cases.
During the short days of winter it is essential to provide artificial
light. In cities and large towns they use electricity for lighting the
school buildings; in the country or in small towns, where the
municipalities do not maintain any central lighting plant, various
devices are installed. Sometimes gasoline is used and again ordinary oil
lamps are common. An abundance of light of the best procurable quality
is generally provided.
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