Only 60 percent of Norwegian children knows “Ja, vi elsker”

Oslo 20150517. "Ja, vi elsker", May 17, Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB scanpix

60 percent of pupils know the first verse of the national anthem

A recent survey conducted by 300 primary school teachers shows that only 60 percent of pupils know the first verse of the national anthem.

 

According to the survey, conducted by Framtida.no and Pirion, the respondents answered that only about 60 percent of Norwegian primary school pupils know the first verse of the national anthem in Norway.

Far fewer know the remaining verses. First verses of “Norway in red, white and blue” and “Nordmannen” are also only known by a fraction of the schoolchildren .

Professor of Music Studies at the University of Oslo, Jan-Roar Bjørkvold, says to the newspaper that he is saddened by the results of the survey.

This is despairing

– For me who have spent over 30 years of my life talking about how important singing is for us, this is despairing, he says.

He believes teachers have a great responsibility to keep singing on track at school.

– It is the song that holds us together as a nation during crisis times. Both during and after the war and after July 22, it was this song that gathered us. The national anthem gives us joy, fellowship, sorrow and memories, he says.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today