Skolehjemsguttene på Falstad – hvem var de? En mikrohistorisk undersøkelse av to årskull elever på Falstad skolehjem.

The institution Falstad at Ekne in Levanger, Norway, was established as an orphanage school under the name of “Falstad Institution for the Upbringing of Troubled Boys” in 1895. It was one of several similar institutions being established as an alternative to ordinary school and prison in the latter part of the nineteenth century. In 1900 it became one of the reformative schools that were to solve the society’s problems with children whom the government considered should be removed from their homes. The project aims to learn more about the institution Falstad as well as the children who were sent to the reformative school. The project asks the following questions: What characterises Falstad reformative school during the period 1900-1940? Who were these pupils and why were they sent to this institution? How are they described by the government? Did the descriptions change during the period? The children who were sent to Falstad represented a problem. Were these problems the same in 1900 as they were in 1940? The research will be within the period 1900-1940. The candidate will examine a varied source material, among these the archives from Falstad orphanage school at both the National Archives of Norway and the Regional State Archives. This allows for research regarding both the governmental reformative school system as well as similarities and differences in these children’s upbringing, background, social class and other factors. It will be possible to investigate causes to why these particular children were brought to the reformative school. Growing up in a challenging home environment was no rarity in the late nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century. It must therefore have been several or other reasons to why these boys were brought to the reformative school. Which circumstances affected the decision of sending these specific children to Falstad? This research will provide an opportunity to study how the society’s views on childhood and upbringing changed over time and how this affected the children at the reformative school. The project will provide new knowledge about Falstad reformative school’s history as well as the national reformative school system, about the interaction between institution and local society and about the relationship between deviation and normality. This will further present important knowledge to today’s debates concerning the challenges connected to exclusion and vulnerable children. Historical knowledge can provide insight which will be necessary for teachers, child welfare officers and other health workers who work with children in today?s society.

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Det overordnede temaet for dette prosjektet er knyttet til sårbare barn som falt utenfor samfunnets normer for hva en «riktig» barndom og oppvekst er. «Falstad Opdragelsesanstalt for vanartede gutter» var en av flere institusjoner i landet som ble opprettet for å håndtere de utfordringene disse barna skapte for samfunnet og familiene. Skolehjemmet ble etablert i 1895, og var i drift fram til 1941 da skolebygningen ble overtatt av den tyske okkupasjonsmakten. Målet med prosjektet er å undersøke hvem disse skolehjemselevene var og hvorfor de havnet på Falstad. Mange barn på slutten av 1800-tallet og starten av 1900-tallet hadde en vanskelig oppvekst. Bare et fåtall av disse ble skolehjemselever. Å vokse opp i vanskelige hjemmeforhold var i denne perioden ingen sjeldenhet, og det må derfor ha vært flere eller andre årsaker til at man valgte å overføre disse guttene til skolehjemmet. Finnes det noen fellestrekk for de barna som ble overført til skolehjemmet? Målet er å gi et innblikk i hvem disse guttene var, og hva som fantes av likheter/ulikheter mellom dem. Forskningen vil gi ny kunnskap om Falstad skolehjems historie, om samspillet mellom institusjon og lokalsamfunn og om forholdet mellom avvik og normalitet. Det vil videre gi viktig kunnskap til dagens debatter om sårbare barn, der vi som samfunn har utfordringer med hvordan vi skal forholde oss til temaer som utenforskap og inkludering.