ABSTRACT
The Norwegian school system in its current form enjoys high esteem. This chapter focuses on the years between 1814 and 1860, and on what people can learn about the experiences of children in school. It begins with the political and educational landscape in Norway in the decades after 1814. A characteristic feature of the Norwegian political system until the 1840s was the often passive role played by the state authorities. The elementary school had now become an important part of the nation building project, and the model child, little Julius, was henceforth regarded as a future Norwegian citizen and was educated in order to become one. The chapter emphasizes that references to actual children are sparse, both in the sources themselves and in the works of the school historians. What the children would learn by being subjected to the school's "pastoral power" can thus be described as sufficientknowledge of the objective world.
