Education, Appointment, and Remuneration of Teachers Primary and Elementary Schools Organization of elementary education. The regular elementary school (kansakoulu, folkskolan) comprises a 2-year primary school (alakansakoulu, småskola) and a 4-year higher elementary school (yläkansakoulu, högre folkskola).' The higher elementary school is fixed as to location and offers 36 weeks of instruction a year. The primary school may be fixed or ambulatory. If it is fixed, the teacher may devote all her time to one district, or divide her time equally between two districts. If it is ambulatory, she divides her time between two locations within the same district. A primary school with the fulltime services of a teacher offers 36 weeks of schooling a year; one sharing the services of the teacher with another location, 18 weeks. A district with at least 30 children of elementary school age must provide an upper elementary school; and if the number of children of primary school age is at least 15, must have an attached primary school either fixed or ambulatory. A district with fewer than 30 children of higher elementary school age and no regular elementary school, must provide a 1-teacher elementary school with fixed location. and shortened course. This reduced school has a year of 40 weeks of which 12, divided 6 weeks each between the beginning and close of the school year, are devoted to children of primary school age and the remaining 28 to those of the upper elementary school. A district with fewer than 20 children of compulsory school age may, instead of providing for them within the district, contribute toward their education in another district. The number of pupils in the upper elementary school is limited to 50; that in the primary school to 40. When the number exceeds these limits, the district is divided or the school enlarged by the addition of another teacher. Subjects of instruction.-The subjects of instruction in the elementary school are religion or history of religion and morality, mother tongue, history, geography, natural science, agricultural and home economics (literally "farm housekeeping and home economics"lanthushållning och huslig ekonomi), arithmetic and geometry, drawing, handwork, gymnastics, and singing. In nonagricultural areas the local school board with the approval of the inspector may substitute for agricultural economics a subject more closely allied to the life of the community. 1 Throughout this section of the bulletin the translation of significant terms is given in Finnish and Swedish. The first word in parentheses is Finnish; the second, Swedish. 286742° -41 121 On completion of the 6-year elementary school a child who does not continue at another type of school must attend a continuation school for the following 2 years. The required subjects of instruction in the continuation school are literature, sociology, agricultural economics, and home economics or handwork. To these are added writing, arithmetic, and at most two other subjects. School year. The regular elementary school opens about September 1; the reduced elementary school, August 1; and both close the middle of June. The higher elementary school and the 36-week primary school have a Christmas vacation of 18 days; the other types of primary school, 3 weeks. When necessary, a school board in the country may extend the vacation for a longer period during the darkest and coldest part of the year. Easter holidays begin the Thursday before Easter Sunday and last at least through the following Monday. In addition the higher elementary school and the 36-week primary school have a sport vacation (urheiluloma, sportlov) of at least 4 days during the period from February 25 to March 5, or in special instances with the consent of the inspector, even later. Vacations are not counted as a part of the work period of the school, but one-half the sport vacation, not exceeding 3 days, may be counted when the teachers of the school in accordance with instructions from the State Board of Education are in charge of the pupils' sports. Number of hours of instruction a week.-The higher elementary school has from 30 to 32 class hours of instruction a week; the primary school, 24; and each level of the reduced elementary school the same as the corresponding level of the regular. Teachers at higher and reduced elementary schools are required to offer not more than 32 hours of instruction a week, including hours of instruction in continuation classes. Primary school teachers may be required to offer in addition to the work of the primary school up to 4 hours a week of instruction in the higher elementary school or in continuation classes insofar as they are qualified. Language of instruction.-Instruction in the elementary school is given in the mother tongue (Finnish or Swedish) of the majority of the pupils of the school. Education Education of elementary school teachers.-Education in preparation for a position as regular teacher at an elementary school is offered at 12 seminaries for the education of elementary school teachers (kansakoulunopettajaseminaarit, folkskollärar- och lärarinneseminarier), the Pedagogical High School at Jyväskylä, and an academic continuation course at the University of Helsinki. All are State insti tutions. The seminaries are of two kinds: Four for the education of primary school teachers (alakansakouluseminaarit, småskollärarseminarier) and eight for the education of teachers at higher elementary schools (yläkansakouluseminaarit, seminarier för lärare i högre folkskola). Seminaries for the education of primary school teachers.-The four now in operation opened with school year 1921-22. At those of Suistamo, Hämeenlinna (Tavastehus), and Tornio (Torneå), the language of instruction is Finnish; at that of Vaasa (Vasa), Swedish.2 They offer a 2-year curriculum which is given in the following table: Table 29.-Plan of studies for the seminary for the education of primary school teachers at Vasa, school year 1937-38 Requirements for admission.-These seminaries are open to women only, who are at least 17 years of age, of good character, have been vaccinated, and have completed the higher elementary school or possess information and skill corresponding to that required for graduation from a higher elementary school. They must also be musical, have sound health, and faultless physical constitutions. Some idea of the broad basis of selection for admission, particularly at the three seminaries with Finnish as the language of instruction, may be obtained from the following summary of the results of the entrance examinations for school year 1936-37: Some places in Finland have two names-one Finnish, the other Swedish. In this bulletin the name in Finnish is given first; that in Swedish, in parentheses. Place names not followed by parentheses are the same in both languages. Table 30.-Admission to seminaries for the education of primary school teachers during In gymnastics and music, students at these seminaries receive instruction qualifying them to teach these subjects even at a higher elementary school. Further, a student who possesses greater skill in handwork than is required for graduation from a higher elementary school is given opportunity to qualify for teaching it also at a higher elementary school. In addition to regular students each seminary may admit not more than six hospitants. They must have completed a school for girls or a middle school. A hospitant must follow the instruction of the seminary for 1 year in the subjects of either or both classes selected for her by the faculty council on the basis of her previous schooling, and participate in the regular manner in the work at the practice school. During the school year 1936-37 a certificate of qualification to teach at primary schools (kelpoisuustodistuksen alakansakouluopettajan virkaan, kompetensintyg för småskollärartjänster) granted to one hospitant at the seminary of Tornio (Torneå) and to four at that of Hämeenlinna (Tavastehus). Table 31.—Statistics of primary school seminaries for school year 1936–37 was |