The Transformation of an Invented Tradition: The School Banner as a Symbol of Education

ABSTRACT

The children's parade, the use of national flags and school banners are key features in the celebration of Norwegian Constitution Day. This article provides a historical analysis of the origin of the school banner and its emergence and development into a living and popular tradition from the late-nineteenth century. This article shows how the emergence of the school banner connects to the establishment of compulsory schooling and the school as an active site for nation building in the Norwegian struggle for independence. Today, the school banner has transformed to promote the schools’ identity and self-representation. The article adds new insight into the history of schooling in Norway and offers an additional perspective to the research on national symbols.

KEYWORDS:

• school banner
• history of education
• Constitution Day
• nation building
• invented tradition
• transformation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 In Oslo, the children's parade follows Karl Johan Street up towards the Palace, and the high point of the parade is when the pupils wave their flags in honour of the King and the Queen and their family who are standing on the Palace balcony waving to the crowd.

2 Trondheim is today the third largest city in Norway. Oslo is today the capital of Norway and the largest city. However, Trondheim was the first capital in Norway and was named Nirdaros at that time.

3 Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson (1870). Dikte og sange [Poems and Songs].

4 Aspaas, K. (1970). Jubileumsskrift ved Ila skoles 200 års jubileum [Jubilee Edition to Ila School's 200 years anniversary], p. 67 (translated by Stewart Clark).

5 Final version of the text of this anthem is from Dikte og sange (1870).

6 Elias Blix (1891), Nokre salmar [Some hymns].