Figure 1.--This is the Haimoo village school in 1919, just as Finland was becoming an indepedent country. Botice all the pictures in the background, unusuak=l for a village school. Haimoo is is a small village about 50 km from Helsinki. Today the population is about 900 people. We havev no idea what itwas at the time. Haimoo is known for its horses and beautiful ridge scenery. It still has a primary school today.

Sweden was a major power in northern Europe for centuries. The Grand Duchy of Finland was for six centuries ruled by the Swedish monarchy. This was before there were state schools, although Finland like Sweden became Protestant and thus literacy was seen as important to read the Bible. We know, however, next to nothing about education during this period. Tsarist Russia acquired Finland during the Finnish War--an offshoot of the Napoleonic Wars. As part of the Reformation, literacy was stongly promoted in Sweden which included Finland (until 1809). There was a much higher rate of literacy in Finland than most other areas of thg Tsarist Enpire. Tsarist authoritiess permitted an unprecedented level of autonomy. Literracy levels continued tomincrease during the Tdarist era. Finland ahived its independence at the end of World War I (1918). The collapse of the Tsarist Army in World War I and the Russian Revolution gave the Finn's the opportunity to declare independepedence. The Finns were faced with disarming a substantial Russian Army and subsequently Red Guards that attempted to seize power. A 3-month civil war followed. Gustaf Mannerheim's White Army emerged victorious, establishing an independent country (May 1918). After independence we are not sure what steps were taken, if any, concerning school uniform. We have very limited informstion at this time, mostly photogrsphs from rural primary schools where the children did not wear uniforms. We re less sure about city secondary schools. We have some images of primaary schools as there is no indication of any uniform. We do not have any information concerning secondary schools. Finland was devestated in World War II. The resulting poverty is clearly obseveable in the clothing children wore during the 1940s.

Swedish Rule (14th-18th Century)

Swedish rule in the area of modern-day Finland started as a result of the Northern Crusades (late-13 century). Schooling was, however, not common at the time. Literacy was not widespread in Sweden and Finalnd (at the time a Swedish province) before the Reformation (16th century). The Catholic Church had dicouraged Biblke reading. This was whyb they so opposed translations onto vernacular national languages. People got burned alive for doing this. The Ptotestant Reformation launmched by Luther changed this. Luther and oither reformers believed that Chgristins had th ewad the Bible. Whiuch mean that there need ed to be an educational system and Nivles published in native langguages. Finnish Bishop Mikael Agricola studied under Martin Luther and translated the New Testament into Finnish (1548). Finland's first university was the Royal Academy of Turku (1640). Teaching was, however, in Swedish. The system consuisted of a basic 'pedagogio' for teaching reading and writing. Next was a trivial school teaching grammar, Latin, Greek, rhetoric and dialectics. Gymnasium prepared for university.Literacy had reached over 50 percent (late-18th century).

Tsarist Empire (1909-18)

Tasrist Russia seized Finland from Sweden in the Finnish War (1808-09). Actually in a way, Tsarust rule paved the way for Finnish independencce. Tsar Alexanfer I decided to permit substantial degree of autonomy for Finland, much greater autonomy permnitted by Sweden, in part to ease integration into the Russian Empire. Finalnd weould be part of the Tsarist Empire gpt over a century until the Russian Revolution and Civil War (1918). We have noted Russian students, at least at the secondary level, wearing uniforms. This may have also been the case in Finland, but Finland had the status of a grand duchy and was somewhat autonomous in Tsarist Russia. The Tsarist regime under Alexander II began a process of Russiufication. We are unsure to what extent Finland was affected. We note primary children who are not wearing uniforms. The photograph here shows children in a rural school during 1903 (figure 1). There is no uniform, although some of the children are dressed similarly. We are not sur about the situation in city schools.

Independent Finland

The collapse of the Tsarist Army in World war I aznd thde Russian Revolution have the Finn's the opportunity to declare independepedence. The Finns were faced with disarming a substantial Russian Army and subsequently Red Guards that attempted to seize power. A 3-month civil war followed. Gustaf Mannerheim's White Army emerged victorious, establishing an independent country (May 1918). After independence we are not sure what steps were taken, if any, concerning school uniform. We have very limited informstion at this time, mostly photogrsphs from rural primary schools where the children did not wear uniforms. We re less sure about city secondary dschools. We have some images of primaary schools as there is no indication of any uniform. We do not have any information concerning secondary schools. Finland was devestated in World War II. The resultung poverty is clearly obseveable in the clothoing children wore during the 1940s. Modern Finnish students do not wrear uniforms. An increasing prosperity is clearly observeable by the mid-1950s. Finnish children by the 1970s were wearing the new pan-European fashions.

Created: 10:16 PM 11/25/2020
Last updated: 10:17 PM 11/25/2020