Að glæða sálargáfurnar og auka þekkinguna

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REJUVENATING THE SOUL AND ENHANCING KNOWLEDGE | FOUNDING OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
In the latter pledge for the Flensborg School it was
stated that children from the Garðar parish could
attend classes there if the parish would contribute an
annual subsidy. This was agreed and an elementary
school was operated in Flensborg along with the
middle school until the year 1901, except for an interim
of one year.
The elementary school was operated as a separate institution that received annual subsidies from the
parish and the government. The subjects taught in the elementary school were Christianity, reading,
writing and arithmetic, and later the oldest children also attended classes in biblical studies, orthography,
natural studies, geography and history. The operation of the elementary school was changed in 1895
when a special three member school board was established whose members were elected by the parish
council. Up to that time Mr. Jón Þórarinsson had been the headmaster of both schools but in 1896 he left his
position as headmaster of the elementary school and Mr. Ögmundur Sigurðsson took over that office.
In a meeting of the parish council on 6th March 1901 it was stated that there was no longer room for the
elementary school in Flensborg and that the lease of the two classrooms allocated to its use had been
terminated. Subsequently the building of an elementary school began and was completed in the summer
of 1902. The inauguration of the school was reported in the periodical Fjallkonan, where it was stated
among other things: “This summer, the people of Hafnarfjörður have built a new and stately elementary
school building, which is of the highest standard in every respect. It has three classrooms, two of which
have room for 30 children each and the remaining one can accommodate 10 children. The basement,
which has still not been completed, is also intended for classrooms, and in the fullness of time boys will
be taught carpentry there and girls will have cookery classes.”