Evening star., 1948-01-04
Norwegian 7eocherN NisitingU.S.
|Ab0ndons Hatred Of Germans

* 1A4sO xAaAAooCA 10 OuC Oh IL QUIZ
standing Norwegian teachers sent
abroad upon scholarship funds fur
nished by the Oslo publisher, Jorgen
Cappeln, in commemoration of the
heroic stand made by the Norwegian
teachers against the infiltration OF
Nazi doctrines. The selection was
made by the Norwegian Teachers
Association, and is of national sig
nificance.
Three from this group have come
to the United States, a man high
school principal, a man elementary
teacher and Miss Hansen. Over q
third Of the teachers in Norwegian
cities are men. and men teachers
are in the majority in all country
districts.
A Soroptimist and delegate to
the international Student Leader
Conference in Boston, Miss Hansen
has already visited schools in New
England. New York City, Philadel-
phia. Pittsburgh, Columbus, Detroit,
Chicago. Minneapolis and Ann Ar
Dor. While she is here in Washing
ton, she is the house guest of her
cousins, DR.. and Mrs. Christopher
Norborg of 3817 Cathedral avenue.
DR.. Norborg was formerly chief of
the special studies section of the Re-
search Division, Once of Stragetic |
Services.
Thrills at Flag Salute.
One of the great thrills Miss
Hansen has experienced in our
public school classrooms has been
in arriving in time for the morning
Salute to the Flag given by chill
dren of all races and creeds. IF
you have seen your own flag dis
placed by a conqueror, you can see
why this emphasis is significant"
she said. Sometimes in order not
to lose this national unity when the
going was toughest in Norway, we
had the children whisper the words
Of our national anthem"
Her eyes light up with pride as
she tells of the invincible spirit of
The Norwegian children during the
period when their school buildings
were turned either into prisons or
Nazi war Offices. with that un- b
canny intuition which young people
80 often have, they invariably were
The first to know of the few fifth
families in our midst
Once, one of my tiniest pupil
walked along the street with me tc
tell me. Take care, Knute's family
Is Nazi'."
Here in Washington Miss Hansen
IS impressed with the helpfulness
and courtesy accorded to her by the,
general staff of the National Educa-
lion Association and all of the school
officials and teachers with whom she
mas come in contact.
Headed Refugee School.
After her wartime flight to
Sweden she was the head of a
chool for war refugee girls from
a to 10 which was largely supported
~ contributions from Norwegian
American friends in the United
States.
As she stumbled across the
swedish border in disguise with a
title band of feminine compatriots
lfter their final headlong tramp
through snow-covered woods from
midnight until the first approach
# dawn, she still remembers with
,ratitude, the kind voices of the
swedish sentries as they said "Wel-
ome to Sweden" Many of her :,
men teaching associates we're not
o fortunate and met cruel fate
n such .NaN concentration camps
IS the Greni camp near Oslo. /
Emphasis upon vocational train
ng along with scholastic studies,
nd watchful zeal in the testing of
Il school children for tuberculosis.
serious threat since war days, are
wo major phases Of Norway's edu-
ational policy. To combat tuber-
ulosis, free milk and cod liver oil
re given all elementary school chill
ren, and, wherever there Is need,
full, free breakfast.
From the first grade on, all Nor
7egian children are now registered
n free dental clinics. A dental
urvey showed, oddly enough, that
he teeth of Norwegian children just
fter the war showed an improve
nent over the peace years. This
5 attributed to the absence of candy
nd sweets in their regimes, the
distribution of cod
ver oil whenever it was available
nd the general use of the coarse.
ark bread" Miss Hansen told me.
Asked what she liked least about
Miss Hansen was at COM
lete loss for a reply, until with a
merry twinkle in her clear blue
yes she said, why is it you walk
o little when there is so much that
, wonderful to see?"