ABSTRACT
The chapter unravels how formal curricula turned into foundational conditions to form national histories in two Nordic states, Norway and Sweden, during the twentieth century. First, we present curriculum reforms that used pietistic, scientific, and civic rationales to legitimize education during the early twentieth century. Second, we look into changes of the 1960s when knowledge become a signifier for initiating research-based reforms. Third, we look into policy processes where international large-scale assessments set the reform agenda. In all three periods, we track subject-specific descriptions in mother tongue and history, and how these detailed what to teach and learn about the nation. Despite similarities, there are significant differences between the national curricula that can be linked to the different constitutional histories of the two countries. Notably, the chapter demonstrates how national curricula serve as public attempts to raise children to be and become national citizens.
