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History textbook confuses students (Norway)
Aftenposten ^ | Feburary 2, 2005 | Per-Ivar Nikolaisen and Agnar Karbo

Posted on 02/01/2005 7:49:56 PM PST by franksolich

History textbook confuses students

A publisher has agreed to amend a high school textbook that teachers said confused students into equating Norway's government under Nazi occupation and its post-war return to democracy.

History teachers at Asker Upper Secondary School protested after finding that a textbook covering Norwegian history after 1850 made complex and controversial comparisons between occupied and post-war Norway.

The text argued that "both put great weight on ideology and modern propaganda" and that their methods led to both forms of government being controversial.

"The book erases the separation between democracy and dictatorship. This can be dangerous in a time where one knows that history repeats itself," said teacher Johanne Volden.

The school ordered the textbooks 'nearly unseen' after being satisfied with the volumes on earlier time periods but soon found what they felt were fundamental errors.

History teachers called the book a scandal, partly due to its coverage of the war and post-war Norway in a single chapter called "Solidarity, growth and indoctrination".

"We expect a minimum of correct interpretation of historical events in a textbook. The author cannot take liberties at the cost of fundamental societal perceptions. The students are left with the impression that (post-war prime minister) Gerhardsen was just as bad as Quisling and Terboven," said history teacher Sissel Frogg.

The teachers say the text has created chaos, leaving many students with the impression that Nazi occupation was a high point in Norwegian history. Grades have dropped and confidence in textbooks plummeted.

The teachers at the school claimed that the author, May-Brith Ohman Nielsen, at best has little understanding of student background knowledge, and presents complex historical analysis before supplying basic information.

"Such academic exercises should be left to forums other than textbooks," said teacher Inge Johnsen.

Head of the publishers, Nina Refseth, quickly agreed to remove the "unfortunate" passage claiming democracy was controversial, but argued that the criticisms calling the book a scandal were exaggerated.

Refseth argued that the text was mean to stimulate critical thought and to spark discussions about the similarities and differences in historical periods.

Students argued that their workload was such that they didn't have time to dissect textbooks, and they expected their books to be accurate.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: haakon; harald; historyeducation; maud; norway; olav; pspl
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Man, I am beginning to like the Aftenposten (I assume it means "Afternoon Post," or somesuch) from Norway.

One wishes such distortions of history would be as big an issue in this country, as it appears to be over there in Norway, the Nebraska of Europe.

1 posted on 02/01/2005 7:49:56 PM PST by franksolich
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To: JLO; Charles Henrickson; DJ MacWoW; tomjohn77; kingsurfer; Theoden

"Ping" for Norway.

Hmmm. To expand this "Norway ping list," I guess I will have to offer free "subscriptions" to other ping lists.


2 posted on 02/01/2005 7:52:41 PM PST by franksolich (Norge uber alles)
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To: franksolich
Refseth argued that the text was mean to stimulate critical thought and to spark discussions about the similarities and differences in historical periods.

In other words, the twisted history and distorted comparisons were merely to help the chillruns think. Right.

3 posted on 02/01/2005 7:55:37 PM PST by catpuppy
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To: catpuppy

I liked the final comment, where the students insisted the textbooks be accurate. Not a frequent demand among kids.


4 posted on 02/01/2005 7:57:11 PM PST by franksolich (Norge uber alles)
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To: franksolich

When kids get it so right, the world's going to be okay. Those kids are to be commended.


5 posted on 02/01/2005 7:59:16 PM PST by catpuppy
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To: catpuppy

You're probably too young to remember this, but there was a time--the early and mid-1970s--when the Encyclopedia Britannica omitted any references at all to the Russian invasion of 1968, in its section on "Czechoslovakia."


6 posted on 02/01/2005 8:01:52 PM PST by franksolich (Norge uber alles)
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To: franksolich

I'm old enough to remember WW II ration coupons as well as the way that Soviet treatment of neighbors was pretty much glossed over by some.


7 posted on 02/01/2005 8:05:38 PM PST by catpuppy
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To: catpuppy

Uh-huh, and while many spoke about the repressions in the Soviet Union, the mainstream news media ignored them.

This was a sore spot for some of the older Russians and Ukrainians I met there, during the early 1990s--not that they wanted anything from us, but that they found it exasperating that the genocide of Lenin and Stalin was known in the west, but ignored. They KNEW we knew what was going on, and were bothered that no one seemed to care.


8 posted on 02/01/2005 8:09:30 PM PST by franksolich (Norge uber alles)
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To: franksolich

Hey, they take their history seriesly.


9 posted on 02/01/2005 8:09:46 PM PST by Constantine XIII
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To: Constantine XIII

Well, I see that Norway is celebrating its 100th anniversary of its liberation from Sweden this year, in June to be specific.

I read a short brief "history" of the event (of 1905), and man, there must have been really bad blood between the two.

What I cannot figure out--of course, I have not yet looked it up--is that Norway used to belong to Denmark, but then after Waterloo in 1815, was given to Sweden. I wonder why that happened, unless Denmark had found Norway to be a quagmire. (Joke, tomjohn77)

The other thing that confuses me is that the first king of Norway was named Haakon VII--hey, hold on a second; what happened to the preceding six Haakons?


10 posted on 02/01/2005 8:15:11 PM PST by franksolich (Norge uber alles)
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To: franksolich

Norway was an independent country for some centuries before they joined Denmark and later Sweden.


11 posted on 02/01/2005 8:35:44 PM PST by tomjohn77
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To: tomjohn77

But why was Norway given to Denmark, and then to Sweden?

Am I correct in assuming that since Sweden had been allied with the Duke of Wellington, and Denmark with Napoleon Bonaparte, and since the British beat the short corpulent Corsican, Norway was taken away from Denmark as punishment, and given to Sweden as a gift?


12 posted on 02/01/2005 8:39:07 PM PST by franksolich (Norge uber alles)
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To: franksolich

it all started around 1250 if I remember right. Norway, Sweden and Denmark went into a union togheter. Sweden went out of that union, but Norway did not. Then Norway and Denmark sided with Napoleon and as punishment Norway was given to Sweden and we lost Iceland to Denmark. Something like that. Its a little bit complicated and some years since I read about it. We have also lost land to Sweden, but thats around 300 years ago. Danes also lost some land to Sweden


13 posted on 02/01/2005 8:45:28 PM PST by tomjohn77
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To: tomjohn77

I find it amusing, that the "peace-loving" Swedes--not lately, but in their past history--were notorious land-grabbers.

Swedes in America are some of the nicest people one can hope to meet (most of them in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin), but their relatives in the Old Country must have been something else.


14 posted on 02/01/2005 8:49:08 PM PST by franksolich (Norge uber alles)
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To: tomjohn77

By the way, just out of curiosity, for future reference--"long term planning" here--how difficult is it to get to Svalbard, from the civilized world?

Is there any history on that island?

I am not being facetious in saying this, but I prefer cold weather. If I had my druthers, I would spend winters in Nebraska, and summers on Hudson's Bay.....which turns most people cold, but one cannot help being the way he is.


15 posted on 02/01/2005 8:55:04 PM PST by franksolich (Norge uber alles)
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To: franksolich

You get to Svalbard by boat and plane from Norway. Up there you can watch Polar bears and go on Snow scooter tours. Its an University up there too. Actually the most effiecient coal mine in the world is located on Svalbard.


16 posted on 02/01/2005 9:01:58 PM PST by tomjohn77
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To: franksolich

No way, I want GOOD lutefisk and lefse.

No more; no less.

My family and I did lefse. My old co-workers and I did lutefisk.

Great combo. I've been without and missing for about 6 years.

Yes, that's right - 6 years deprivation of good lutefisk and lefse. Bought Mrs. Olson's lefse online at our our local on-line grocery store. NOT the same! It was rectangle, LOL!! Lutefisk was a whole 'nother story. My lutefisk recall: grandma baked it; mom boiled it in a net. My pal I talked of earlier, used the microwave.

And here I haven't indulged - in awhile. Enjoy for me!


17 posted on 02/01/2005 9:03:10 PM PST by JLO (Minnesota Nice)
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To: tomjohn77

Well, sir, I'm going to check out Svalbard, for a potential future trip--but not next week or next month, or anything, but just some time in the indefinite vague future, whenever I get the wanderlust again.

The climate should suit me fine, in the winter.

I spent three winters in England, one in Scotland, one in France, one in Ireland, and an entire year wandering around the former Soviet Union, where it was mostly winter all year round anyway.

When it comes to "cold," nothing is colder than New Jersey in the winter (where I spent two winters)--Free Republicans from Minnesota and Michigan might insist that their states are cold, but Minnesota and Michigan are like Miami Beach, when compared with standing on the sea-shore of New Jersey in the middle of January.


18 posted on 02/01/2005 9:09:14 PM PST by franksolich (Norge uber alles)
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To: JLO

That reminds me, madam; I suppose I better check to be sure there's non-fish on the diet, in Svalbard.


19 posted on 02/01/2005 9:10:28 PM PST by franksolich (Norge uber alles)
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To: JLO

By the way, I finally got the "profile" in a legible font, madam, thanks to someone on the DUmmie FUnnies.

One has to do this "< >" thingamajig.


20 posted on 02/01/2005 9:17:55 PM PST by franksolich (Norge uber alles)
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