125
SECONDARY EDUCATION
In various parts of the country there are ‘Schools for Youths’ (ungl-
ingaskélar), providing courses of study and further instruction in the
subjects taught at the elementary schools. These schools are either
municipal or private, with one or iwo years’ courses and supported
by grants from the State. In addition there are outside the capital
several People’s Schools with two or three years’ courses, one of them
State-owned, the others being foundation schools enjoying treasury grants.
There are also two State-owned coeducational Secondary Schools, one in
Reykjavik (Menntaskéli), the other at Akureyri, both comprising two
divisions or departments: a lower division (gagnfradadeild) consist-
ing of three “one-year classes, and providing a common citizens’
education of a wider scope than that of the elementary school; and
a higher division or department (lzrdémsdeild), also based on a three
years’ course, and beginning where the former ends. In the Reykja-
vik school this division has (wo “lines” or “sides“: modern languages
and mathematics-science, various subjects being common for both sides.
The Akureyri school has only a modern language side. The curriculum
of the higher divisions provides instruction in: the Icelandic language
and literature, Danish, English, German, French, Latin, Study of the
Classics through translations (fornaldarfradi), Religion, History, Mathe-
matics, Physics, Chemistry, Natural Science, Astronomy, Singing and
Gymnastics. The final examination or stfidentspréf (examen artium)
entitles those who have passed it to matriculation at the university, —
There is also a number of special (technical) schools, most of which
provide general as well as professional (technical) instruction. State
schools of this kind are: the kennaraskéli or training college for
teachers at elementary schools, with a three years’ course; the nauti-
cal school with a to years’ course; a school for marine engineers
with a two years’ course; two agricultural schools with two years’
courses, and a training school for midwives (one year’s course). Other
schools largely supported by the State are: the evening technical schools
for artisan apprentices in various towns; 2 commercial schools. and
2 secondary schools for girls.
In most of the schools here mentioned the period of instruction is
26 to 30 weeks per annum, or even less in some of the Schools for
Youths; but for the Menntasksli the school year begins on the 1st of
October and ends on the 30th of June. During the summer months
(July —September, and in some schools, May— September) all teaching