Subject and class organization

Østersund Middle School Fet 1970 -1990

At the start of the school’s operation in the fall of 1969 a 30-hour week was used as a basis. This was in agreement with Trial advisory board’s (Forsøksrådets) s called ’alternative’ plan. The same plan was used for the 1970-71 school year.

The 1971-72 academic year was the school’s first with students at all three levels (7^th-9^th grades). The advisory board then allowed a 5-day week with 35 class hours of 40 minutes length, that is 5 days with 7 class hours per day. This pattern was used for the 72-73 academic year as well. The school then had 11 normal classes and one volunteer 10^th grade class. That year the total amount of classroom teaching amounted to 21, 432 hours. Since the fall of 1973 the ’normal’ 5 day week and basic subject and classroom organization has remained very much the same.

The electives offered, have through the years, been fairly extensive. First amongst these classes we should mention the aquarium and social work. The social work consisted of a group of students from the 10^th grade being engaged in various activities amongst students at Elvetun Treatment Center (Elvetun Behandlingshjem) a center for the mentally challenged. Somewhat later an elective called ’Adolescents and Economy’ worked with Fet and Rælingen Sparebank. In later years electives have included Photo/video, Adolescent/Adult, Moped courses and the like. Today Skrå bredder should be mentioned. Many of today’s 8^th and 9^th graders are involved in this intercurricular activity.

Growing problems with lack of space

To start with Oestersund ungdomsskole encompassed students from the entire municipality. In 1974 the municipality was faced with two problems connected to further building.

1. Relief for Oestersund
2. Extension of Dalen school

Based on the signals then available a large increase in the population in Dalen’s district could be counted on. This would have consequences for both Dalen and Oestersund. In the fall of 1977 the extension at Dalen was partially ready for use and all of the classes in the district were gathered. Oestersund received some much-needed relief and was now to receive students only from Riddersand and Hovinhøgda districts.

In 1981 it was suspected that the number of students would soon exceed the school’s capacity despite the disappearance of the students from Dalen’s district. In January 1982 the school board dealt with the following alternative solutions:

1. Transfer of 7^th grade from Riddersand to Dalen
2. Temporary organization of Riddersand as a 1^st – 7^th grade school.
3. The erection of portable classrooms at Oestersund.

The first alternative was met with massive resistance in both the Dalen and Riddersand districts. After much discussion a ‘spatial’ solution was worked out for alternative 3. Construction costs were calculated at about 3.5 million. After a long and heated debate the project was abandoned as impractical since the number of students would exceed the school’s capacity anyway. The result was that Riddersand was accepted as a temporary 1^st – 7^th grade school. This arrangement lasted just the 1983-4 school year.

The School’s Faculty

At the school’s opening in the fall of 1969 Oestersund had a principal and nine teachers eight of who had full time positions in addition to two hourly teachers. In the 70-71 academic year the school had 13 teachers 11 of who were full time, two hourly teachers, a principal and counselor. The Counselor’s position was organized as a temporary position.

First teacher’s position (a sort of assistant principal) was instituted in 1972.

As of fall 1970 the entire school was in use. The sanitation department consisted of eight workers. In addition to this the school had two custodians and a part-time secretary. The secretary’s position was later extended to full-time and upgraded to ‘Office manager’.

The school’s principals:

1974. 1974. Otter Strudel

1985. 1985. Thorbjørn Lofstad

1985. Ketil Os

The school in its anniversary year

In this anniversary year the school has these personnel:

Teachers 32
Custodians 2
Office Manager 1
Sanitation 11

The school has 290 students divided into 12 classes.

The School’s Areas of Emphasis

The physical environment

• Systematic rehabilitation of the classrooms
• Improvement of the immediate surroundings
• Student cafe and radio
• Paper drives

Computers

The school has 6 computers. Three are used for administrative duties. The other three have been placed in a computer room and are used actively by teachers and students.

School research

A project in local history is being run from the school. It is a cooperative effort, the participants are. The Fet local library, National Library board and the Institute for humanist information at the University of Oslo. The project receives support from Fet municipality, Akershus county school and culture department, Primary school council, the Council for High School Education and Norway’s General Science Research Board. Project Managers are Wigo H. Skråmm and Nils Steinar Våge.

Teacher’s Curriculums

In the school’s 20 year history three basic curriculums have been used.

• Curriculum for research on the 9 year primary school.
• The General Plan 1974
• The General Plan 1987

These plans have varied with respect to content, emphasis of teaching materials and methods. A few other laws and changes have affected the schools pedagogic content during the last twenty years. To mention a few:

• Transition to a five day week (from 36 hours a week to 30 hours a week). Oestersund got its own trial package during the transition in the early 70s.
• The loss of county reimbursements on teaching material expenses and inventory in 1973.
• New income accounting system in 1986 with all of the consequences for class/teacher distribution, special ed. classes and the like.

• • The School Budget 1971 and 1989

Translated by Steven Mohn