Cane from Sandager School

Cane from Sandager school at Assens, 1915. This cane is now at Møntergården in Odense. Photo: Jens Gregers Aagaard.

Intro

In schools the rattan cane was abolished in 1967, but not until 1997 it was prohibited to chastise children in the home.

In the world of books Denmark’s first book was printed in Odense in 1482. It then became possible to disseminate knowledge and information on a previously unseen scale and at an unprecedented rate. The printed book still plays an important role in our education system, but its use has developed from the rote learning of the grammar schools to the responsibility for learning placed on the individual. The Funen resident, Christian Kold, who was an activist in the free school movement, was instrumental in sparking this development.
Rural schools A huge difference still existed between urban and rural schools well into the 20th century. In most places on Funen, country children only attended school every other day and there was no school in summer or during the potato harvest where the children’s labour was required at home. The difference between town and countryside was not erased until the Act of 18th May, 1937. According to this, schools in the countryside and the towns should offer identical teaching.

This location is part of the exhibition 'Funen – at the centre of the universe', at Møntergården in Odense. Read more about the exhibition on our website.