Kulturstigen 5

School

Following a parliamentary decision in 1840, compulsory schools were opened throughout the country, but not in Lapland. The reason must have been the small number of children living here. A nomad school in Arjeplog conducted early activities with Sami and local children who lived in the parish while in the villages there were no school opportunities. At best, some elderly people could teach the younger ones reading, writing, and Christianity, but well into the 20th century there were many old people who were themselves unable to do this. They had to be content with a badge, i.e. a mark that an uneducated person would use as a signature. There were various difficulties as they gradually tried to set up schools in the area. Acquiring school grounds, providing teachers, procuring teaching materials, etc. Mostly it was a poorly heated bakery that became both the school grounds and the living area for the teacher. School desks were made by a villager, blackboards, books and writing materials were bought.

In 1875, F.O. Östman from Tynderö was the first teacher in this village. He stayed for 17 weeks. The type of school was called "Wandering Small Elementary School" with the designation D3 School. In practice, this meant that all children from first to sixth grade sat in the same room and received lessons that were shaped by a teacher. After the end of the semester (autumn), school materials as well as the teachers were moved to Nyliden, where the school took place for the spring semester.

The entire school education lasted six semesters. The children learned the entire catechism of Luther by heart, they learned to read, write, count and a little bit about our warrior kings. Then school was finished and the school of life took over.

Before 1920 the school was housed in "Gam-Burman's" house, which was next to today's Holger Johansson. From 1920-21 it was at Oskar Forsén's place, after 1921 in Karl-August Forsén's kitchen (house demolished), in 1923 at August Burman's house (burned down in 1938) and in 1927 in August Burman's newly built house (demolished in 1955). The school stayed there until the schoolhouse was built in 1934. In this new building, school started with the spring semester of 1935. The number of students has changed significantly over time, with the highest number being recorded in the early 1950's - just over a hundred.

The emergence of popular education from the 1920's onwards had an enormous significance for the people in our region. As a part of it, lectures on a variety of topics were given, a theater association and the 1st choir of the village and Slagnäs IF (1934) were founded - the latter by teacher Julius Westergren.