Schools in Fiskars

The construction of the first school building began in 1826, but teaching first started in a temporary shelter in 1832, around the Midsummer Day, and thirty boy students began their studies there. In 1833, the school building was ready, and teaching was moved into it, and Johan Jacob von Julin organised a grand opening ceremony to commemorate the occasion.

In junction with the ordinary school, a Sunday school was organised for the children who worked at the workshops during the week. In 1845, Julin sent word that a five-day working week would be implemented at the school, with six hours of studying each day. In the Sunday school, four hours of the afternoon were dedicated to studying. Both schools were open for about ten months a year. By the end of the 1840’s, the ordinary school had around 45 students, while the Sunday school had about 35.

In 1872, the Bell-Lancaster school was changed into an elementary school with separate classes for boys and girls. The school was bilingual until 1902, when the two language groups were separated. In 1928, a new building was made for the Finnish language school.

In 1837, a school for approximately 40 students was built in Orijärvi. At Koski Ironworks the students were taught by a priest in the local church.

Emily’s Sewing School

Following in her father’s footsteps, Emily Lindsay Julin founded a sewing school for the girls of Fiskars. It was said, that in the sewing school, the girls would learn “sewing and other useful skills”. 30 hours of the school week was dedicated to theoretical subjects, and 20 hours for sewing. All the handcraft made in the school was sold in auctions twice a year. 5 % of the profits went to the school for common use, while the rest went to the girls as a reward. The sewing school stopped functioning in its original form in around 1840.

Sources and literature:

Schulman, Maria. Skolgång i Västra Nyland i seklets början. Västnyländsk årsbok. 1990
Korhonen, Mikael et.al. Undervisning för flickor – Amelie Schlüters fruntimmerskola i Pojo 1863-39. Västnyländsk årsbok. 1991
Blomqvist, Hjalmar. Skolgång i gamla tider. Västnyländsk årsbok. 2013
Holmström, Laura. Minnen från Fiskars. 1994.
Klevdal, Nils. Fiskars i dag och för 300 år sedan. 1949.
Nikander, Gabriel. Fiskars bruks historia. 1929.