Figure 1.--Sweaters are popular scoolwear in Norway. This image is from a 1963-64 Sandnes Uldvarefabrik (Sandnes Wool Company) catalogue, which makes Peer Gynt yarns. This one is a schoolroom, with each child wearing a different sweater. |
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Norway like other Scandanavian countries have not required school uniforms. Boys wore their normal clothes so school wear has simply reflected the contemprary Norwegian fashions. Norwegian readers tell HBC that the individuality and importance of personal choice has meant that school uniform has never proven popular in Norway.
Norway has an old tradition of the so colled "selraaderetten", that means in English "selfgovernment right". A concequece of this, according to a HBC reader is that the average Norwegian is verry "individual" orientated. In practice this means that the people in local communities are not willing to be governed from a central place. For this reason, Norwegians are relatively "undisciplined". Norway was never, exept in the Wikingera; a great powered nation and has never had any colonies. In contrast, Norway was a colony of Denmark between 1319 and 1814. From 1814 to 1905, Norway was part of a union with Sweeden. Only from 1905 up to now, except during the World War II German occupation (1940-45), Norway has been a soverign independent nation.
We have very limited information on Norwegian school activities at this time, but we have begun to collect some information. Activities at Norwegian schools are basically the same as those at other European schools. We believe that like quite a number of European schools the sports program and other extra-curricular activities is rather limited compared to American schools. The basic difference we have noted in Norway relates to the climate, the cold weather and snow. This affects how the children dress, go back and forth to school, as well as the games and sports they play. Other than this, as far as we know, the basic academic and school activities in Norway are comparable to those in other countries.
The Norwegian historical experience has mean that words such as "uniforms", "discipline", "respect" and "union" have generalyy negative consequences. A good example of this is the 1994 referendum about joining the European Union in 1994 was answered with NO from
the people in Norway. The idea tradition of school-uniforms in Norway has have never struckt parents, teachers and the Ministery of Education here. This idea was tried out in a few central schools in Norway's larger cities. A HBC reader reports that a semiprivate girl-school during the 1910s in Oslo tried a so called "voluntary schooluniform", but it died out. Since then school-uniforms have never been worn by Norwegian pupils. One of the few exceptions is the British School in Stavanger (the Nnorwegian oil-capital) who have a uniform.
One of the most popular school garments in Norway is the knit sweater. Traditionally they were knitted by mothers and grandmothers. Today many are store brought readymade sweaters. The Norewgian climate of course makes warm weather clothes like sweaters a popular and useful school garment. These are not grey uniform sweaters like the ones worn in Britain, but rather brightly colored swaters with manhy varied designs.
A HBC reader reports that discipline in Norwegian schools have "nivellated" rapidly after the World War II (1945). Since then, Norwegian pupils have been allowed to adress every teacher with the familiar form "You" instead of "Though". Simular to the with
the German use of "Du" and "Sie". In the last 20 years, Norwegian pupils are also allowed to adress their teachers with their Cristian name to.
Careful, clicking on these will exit you from the Boys' Historical Clothing web site, but several are highly recommended
Related Chronolgy Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[Late 19th century]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1950s]
[The 1960s]
[The 1970s]
[The 1980s]
Related Style Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[Main Norwegian page]
[Main Norwegian knit page]
[Long pants suits]
[Knicker suits]
[Short pants suits]
[Socks]
[Knits]
[Jacket and trousers]
[Blazer]
[School sandals]
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