The White Falcon - 24.02.1945, Blaðsíða 2

2
v; .HI
a------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
g
»
- ABROAD m ICELAli
;;
t?
Q
o
i't
a
Q
g
hr
o
hr
o
ih
o
I
e
;;
;;
«
C-
«
o
8
At
i?
hr
o
rh
hr
;;
;;
o
Q
i?
I
i
(Sig. Corps Photo).
A typical classroom recitation period i t one cf Reykjavik’s secondary schools.
Icelandic Schools
Aim of Icelandic educa-
tion, compulsory for all
children between the ages
of seven to 14, is
Principally to train the
schoolchildren to be good
and self-supporting mem-
bers of the community.
But underlying is a deep
conviction that a certain
amount of knowledge is
required if such is to be
the result.”
In the language curric-
ulum, Icelandic boys and
girls are taught, in addi-
tion to their own langu-
age, English and Danish,
with optional courses in
Norwegian, Swedish, Ger-
man and the Romance
Languages.
Students in the advanc-
ed foreign language class-
es — that is, those who
have had about two years
of preparatory work, car-
ry on their classroom dis-
cussions in the language
being studied. Without ex-
ception, the students in
English classes exhibit an
unusual fluency in the
language.
Since corporal punish-
ment in the schools is for-
bidden by Icelandic law,
teachers may have re-
course only to an occasi-
onal reprimand in dealing
with unruly children.
However, even that is
seldom found necessary.
The children appear to
have a genuine interest in
learning and to appreciate
the opportunities afford-
ed them to prepare for life
careers in business, the
trades or professions.
Although Iceland has
maintained free schools
since ' the 11th Century,
compulsory education
was not introduced until
1907. During the interven-
ing years, the education
of the nation’s youth was
carried on chiefly by pri-
vate tuition in the homes
where the Scriptures and
old Icelandic sagas were
read by the parents to the
children. Through this
widespread reading of the
sagas, and because of the^
country’s remoteness pri-
or to.air travel and radio,
Icelandic is spoken and
written virtually the; same
as it was one thousand
years ago.
Regular c.aasruo.n in-
struction, supplemented
by educational programs
hrodacast over Iceland’s
radio network, is offered
for a six to nine-and-one-
Jialf month period, de-
pending upon whether the
school is situated in an ur-
, ban or rural district. The
period is shorter in the
country. Within the
towns, all children from
ten to 14 must attend
school for at least 700
hours a year — those und-
er ten, a minimum of 500
hours a year. All schools
offering ageneralized cur-
riculum are coeducation-
al.The- summer vacation
extends from April to Oc-
tober for children ten
years of age or older,
while younger children
(who attend no more than
two hours a day) are giv-
en their summer vacation
from early June until Oc-
tober. In the summertime
all boys and girls of school
age are afforded the op-
portunity of living on
farms in the country.
Physical education is
stressed throughout both
the primary and second-
ary schools. All children,
both boys and girls, must
participate in gymnastics
and swimming. This pro-
gram is continued through
all the year even when the
schools are not in session.
Doctors and dentists are
in frequent attendance at
the schools, and special
facilities — such as sun-
ray lamps — are made
available to the sickly
children.
The children attend the
elementary schools for
seven years, during which
time they are taught to he
proficient in reading,
writing and speaking the
native language, as well
as ih arithmetic, history
of the Christian religion,
local history, geography
and biology — in addition
to manual training for the
boys and homemaking for
the girls. Group singing is
also taught.
Of the number of hours
spent in elementary
school, the largest per-
centage is devoted to the
study of Icelandic. Next,
in order, are: arithmetic,
local history, geography,
biology, drawing, religi-
ous instruction, gymnast-
ics and singing.
Principal courses studi-
ed in the secondary
schools are: Icelandic,
English, Danish, Icelandic
literature, local and world
history, geography, natur-
al science, arithmetic, and
the elementary principles
of sociology and law “per-
taining to the local envir-
onment.”
In spite of Iceland’s geo-
graphic isolation, she has
remained in remarkably
close contact with every
phase of modern progress
and has led as often as she
has followed. The schools
of the young Republic,
like its people, have un-
alternably associated
themselves with the belief,
common to all free com-
munities of the world,
that only an educated el-
ectorate can be free.

OOT NOTES
Bv
• PvT. ET. -sTack ■
(During the temporary absence of Pvt. Jack Gray, this
column is being written by Sgt. Bob Hill.)
■Sgl. George Stuck is the owner of that sjmooth voice
heard nightly over our local Armed Forces Radio Station.
With three-and-one-half years of Army radio experience
behind him at Fort Dix, N. J., George is well-qualified
to take over his duties here. In addition to producing,
recording and monitoring four Gl shows weekly over
local N. J. stations, Stuck also served as engineer on the
“This Is Fort Dix” air show heard over the Mutual Net-
work. Before-doffing his civics at Cranford, N. J., George
worked in a recording laboratory and “batted around”
several of the New York radio stations as am engineer.
Since arriving in Iceland, he has written many new
“sign-ons” and “sign-offs,” as well as presenting the. insu-
rance and safety spots. Stiick’s most pretentious effort to
date—“Here’s Me!”—will take to the air Monday night at
1800 hours. It’s a program of recordings and chatter—
making it the first local series ever to be presented over
Iceland’s AFRS station.
Theodore (“Teddy Rear”) Hibson, the Falcon’s naval
reporter, forwards the story of Oscar Racoon who became
a bluejacket in Virginia in July,. 1943, and who subse-
quently was transferred to a CR unit in Iceland. Here his
troubles began. Oscar went AWOL for two days and ten
hours and was given two weeks’ restriction to camp. Upon
completion of his sentence, the little racoon went AWOL
again- this time for two days and 15 hours. His second
offense caused him ten days’ confinement and, what is
worse, curtailment of his raw eggs for 30 days. Early
in 1944 Oscar joined up with an outfit which settled in
England. Once more lie went AWOL for 48 hours. At
Captain’s Mast he was again given restriction for two
weeks and cut to one bath per week. Oscar Racoon’s life
with .the..CRs came to an infamous end when (after
another “over the fence” escapade) he was put in an
English zoo for devouring several choice fowls. Hibson
reports that when the news of Oscar’s downfall reached
the Navy hoys in Iceland they just shook their heads in
bewilderment and deplored the fact that he had strayed
from the straight and narrow as, after all, he was such
a “regular’gob!”
❖
IBC INCIDENTALS: Have von tried nutmeg with those
swell malteds on sale at the Base PX Soda Fountain?
Pretty good!. . . . Pfc. Larry Lalaguna has been walking
His MP beat with an extra lilt in his gait since Mrs. L.'
gave birth to an eight-pound strapping boy last week.
After much consultation, the Mom and Pop are going to
call it John Lawrence Lala: una.. .Elska, the only guinea
pig in Iceland, is still queen of all she surveys at a hos-
pital here. By the way, she might well receive the title
of “Queen of the FBIs,”' being a veteran of the IBC since
before Pearl Harbor. The boys at the hospital have built
a little house for her which is named, appropriately,
“Elska’s Manor”.... In case you didn’t know, the blue
on the IBC patch stands for the water around Iceland,
the red symbolizes the fiery heat of the volcanoes and
the white represents the snows and glaciers of the country.
-ENSA SHOW
(Continued from Page 1)
ed in a Belgian town and
were forced to evacuate that
evening when the Nazis re-
took it. Under enemy artil-
lery fire almost continually,
the women in the ENSA
show are said to have behav-
ed and acted like veteran
soldiers — but were a “little
flustered” the afternoon
Field Marshal Montgomery
was in the audience.
As for the show “Odd
Spots”: It’s one of the fast-
est-moving, funniest and
best ENSA shows to play
Iceland. Hill-hilly singer and
dead-pan artist Betty Arrell,
dancer Rene Kiel and pian-
ist Joan Pounds form the
female contingent. In addi-
tion to MC Westwood, male
members of the cast include
comedian Jack Dagmar and
novelty man Edward Bow-
ers. All performers gave
everything they had during
the strenuous hour-and-
three-quarter show which —
if the audience reaction is
any criterion -— could have
gone on for another half
hour.