Scottish education through Norwegian eyes: Hartvig Nissen's report from his study trip to Scotland in 1853

Abstract

The article presents and analyses the first part of Norwegian educator Hartvig Nissen’s (1815–1874) comprehensive report from his study tour to Scotland in 1853. Nissen occupies an important place in Norwegian nineteenth-century educational history and in nineteenth-century history in general, and he is regarded as the main driving force behind the most important Norwegian nineteenth-century School Act, ratified in 1860. The article sheds light upon how Nissen presented the Scottish school system and the state of school and education in Scotland at the time of his visit. Nissen’s report is regarded to have been of great importance for the subsequent development of the Norwegian school system. The article argues that Nissen’s presentation can be related to his surroundings while in Scotland, as well as his position as an educator in his own country.