The country clergy have the free use of the glebes which belong to the State, and among other sources of income to the livings are the parsons' tithes and sundry rent charges on landed proprietors in the parish.
In the towns the tithes have largely been commuted by the municipality, and are now paid to the clergy by the community in the form of rates, their stipends being further augmented by voluntary contributions and by certain grants from the Government.
According to a law passed in 1897, all the churches and churchyards in Norway, with a few exceptions, will in a short time become the property of their respective congregations. For this purpose a church fund is now in process of formation, being raised by the commutation of all church tithes, and by the addition of certain royal tithes of pre-Reformation origin. The proceeds of this fund will be devoted to the maintenance of, and the repairs to, the churches, the deficit to be made up by the parish or municipality.
Among the many religious efforts which are liberally supported may be mentioned the Norwegian Missionary Society, which was founded in 1842: Zululand, Natal, and Madagascar are its fields of labour; the Santhal Mission in India; and the Norwegian Lutheran China Mission. There are also home missions and local religious associations for the relief of the poor and the care of the sick. In addition to these, there is a mission to the Jews.
Great was the reluctance of the Norwegian people to receive the reformed faith, which they were compelled by law to do in the middle of the sixteenth century; but they have since become loyally and deeply attached to it, and there are probably few countries in Europe where the ministers of religion have a greater influence in the administration of the affairs of the country and the education of the people than in Norway. It has been the nation's endeavour for the last century to develop and improve the education of her children.
Public instruction
An effort was made by royal ordinance as early as 1739 to introduce into the country a system of general school attendance, and to arrange for the establishment of a permanent school in each parish. At that time the clergy were the sole leaders in school matters, each in his own parish, and it is owing in a great measure to them that, in the face of the numerous difficulties of all kinds which had to be overcome, the school has made continual progress. Its development has always been in a democratic direction. From a parish school for the poor, it has become a national school, where a general education is provided which is accessible to all members of society.
Free and compulsory education obtains in Norway. It consists of a seven years' course. In the country districts it is adapted for children between the ages of eight and fifteen, and in the towns for those between seven and fourteen. The reason why Norwegian children begin their education so late in the country parishes may no doubt be attributed to the fact that they have in most cases to travel great distances in order to attend school.
The Department for Ecclesiastical Matters and Public Instruction is the highest school authority in the country. Next follow the School Directors, one for each of the six dioceses; these superintend the primary schools. The Bishop and Dean also take an active part in the superintendence, and the priest in supervising the instruction in religious knowledge.
There are six public colleges, one to each diocese, for the training of school-masters and governesses—as school-mistresses are called—for the primary schools, and in these colleges they receive free tuition. The college course extends to three years; it was formerly a two years' course.