| Longyearbyen School Longyearbyen skole | |
|---|---|
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| Location | |
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Norway | |
| Coordinates | 78°12′36″N15°36′45″E / 78.2099248°N 15.61250849999999°E |
| Information | |
| Type | K-12 school |
| Grades | K-12 |
| Website | lybskole |
Longyearbyen School (Norwegian : Longyearbyen skole) is a combined primary and secondary school located in and serving Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway. The school has about 270 pupils and 45 teachers. [1] It is the northernmost school in the world. [2]
The school in Longyearbyen was established in 1920 as a cooperation between the Church of Norway and the mining company, Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani (SNSK). The first teacher was vicar Carter Desbarats, who taught in a 4-by-3-meter (13.1 by 9.8 ft) barracks near the church. Originally there were eight pupils, but by 1926 it had grown to sixteen. In 1935 pastor Just Kruse was assigned as principal and teacher of the school. He remained in this role until the evacuation in 1941. [3] A separate school building was taken into use in 1938, but it was destroyed in the bombing of Longyearbyen in 1943. When the school resumed operations in 1946, it initially used a two-room house at Haugen. With the 1951 opening of Huset, a community center, the school was relocated to the second story there. [4]
From 1954, the school was reorganized. It had two classes, the vicar was no longer responsible for teaching, and operations were taken over by SNSK, who received a 25,000 Norwegian krone per year subsidy from the government. From 1957, a principal was hired and the school split into three classes. In 1964, a private middle school was established. From 1971, a new school building was taken into use, in time for the introduction of mandatory nine-year education. The new facilities included a gym and a 12.5-meter (41 ft) swimming pool. From 1972, teachers were no longer permanently employed, but instead given three-year fixed terms. [4]
Ownership and funding of the school was taken over by the Ministry of Education and Research from 1 August 1976. From 1978, upper secondary education was introduced, for which a 148-square-meter (1,590 sq ft) extension was built. A further 440 square meters (4,700 sq ft) was added in 1984. In 1995, an additional 750 square meters (8,100 sq ft) was added and the following year, Svalbardhallen, a multi-purpose indoor sports complex, was opened. The same year, the school received an Internet connection. Regular school for six-year-olds started in 1997. In 1999, the school took over the community's music school. [4] A new middle school building was taken into use in 2005, followed by another section for younger students the following year. From 1 January 2007, ownership was taken over by Longyearbyen Community Council. [1]
The student body is highly transient, as working adults in Svalbard usually have two to three year contracts and leave after they finish these contracts. Due to the low population the school emphasizes friendship and dealing with conflicts properly. In 2007 there were 230 pupils; they consisted of mainly Norwegians, but also pupils from 12 other countries, including around 10 Thai students. Generally, none of the students are born in Svalbard. When children reach the age of 16 or 17, most families move to mainland Norway for improved school access. [2]
The curriculum is largely the same as that of mainland Norway. In 2007 students 16 and older took courses on survival in the wilderness. [2]
Svalbard, also known as Spitsbergen or Spitzbergen, is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. North of mainland Europe, it lies about midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. The islands of the group range from 74° to 81° north latitude, and from 10° to 35° east longitude. The largest island is Spitsbergen, followed in size by Nordaustlandet and Edgeøya. The largest settlement is Longyearbyen on the west coast of Spitsbergen.
Spitsbergen is the largest and the only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in northern Norway.
Ny-Ålesund is a small town in Oscar II Land on the island of Spitsbergen in Svalbard, Norway. It is situated on the Brøgger peninsula (Brøggerhalvøya) and on the shore of the bay of Kongsfjorden. The company town is owned and operated by Kings Bay, which provides facilities for permanent research activities by 19 institutions from 11 countries. The town is ultimately owned by the Ministry of Climate and Environment and is not incorporated. Ny-Ålesund has an all-year permanent population of 30 to 35, with the summer population reaching 114. Its facilities include Ny-Ålesund Airport, Hamnerabben, Svalbard Rocket Range, a port and Ny-Ålesund Town and Mine Museum, as well as a number of buildings dedicated to research and environmental monitoring activities. It is the northernmost functional civilian settlement in the world.
Barentsburg is the second-largest settlement in Svalbard, Norway, with about 455 inhabitants (2020). A coal mining town, the settlement was almost entirely made up of ethnic Russians and Ukrainians. With the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, most of the Ukrainian citizens were reported to have left.
Svalbard lies under the sovereignty of Norway, but the Svalbard Treaty places several restrictions. Norway cannot use the archipelago for warlike purposes, cannot discriminate economic activity based on nationality and is required to conserve the natural environment. Uniquely, Svalbard is an entirely visa-free zone. Everybody may live and work in Svalbard indefinitely regardless of country of citizenship. Svalbard Treaty grants treaty nationals equal right of abode as Norwegian nationals. Non-treaty nationals may live and work indefinitely visa-free as well. "Regulations concerning rejection and expulsion from Svalbard" is in force on non-discriminatory basis.
Arctic Norway comprises the northernmost parts of Norway that lie above the Arctic circle. Norway reaches from approximately 58°N to 81°N, so large parts lie north of the Arctic circle at 66°33′. In Norway, the name Northern Norway is used for the northernmost part of mainland Norway, while Arctic Norway is often understood as Svalbard.
Svalbard Airport is the main airport serving Svalbard in Norway. It is 5 km (3.1 mi) northwest of Longyearbyen on the west coast, and is the northernmost airport in the world with scheduled public flights. The first airport near Longyearbyen was constructed during World War II. In 1959, it was first used for occasional flights, but could only be used a few months a year. Construction of the new airport at Hotellneset started in 1973, and the airport was opened on 2 September 1975. It is owned and operated by state-owned Avinor.
Ny-Ålesund Airport, Hamnerabben is an airport serving the research community of Ny-Ålesund in Svalbard, Norway. The airport is owned by Kings Bay, who also owns the company town. The only flights available are to Svalbard Airport, Longyear, operated two to four times a week by Lufttransport using Dornier 228 aircraft. The services are organized as corporate charters and tickets are only available after permission from Kings Bay.
Svea Airport was a private airport located in and serving the Sveagruva in Svalbard, Norway. The airport was owned and operated by Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani, who used the airport to transport their coal mining workers from the company town to Longyearbyen and Svalbard Airport, Longyear. The airport featured a gravel runway measuring 800 by 30 meters. Flights were operated about thirty times per week by Lufttransport using their two Dornier 228s.
The University Centre in Svalbard is a Norwegian state-owned limited company that is involved in research and provides some higher education in Arctic studies. The company is wholly owned by the Ministry of Education and Research, and the universities of Oslo, Bergen, Tromsø, NTNU and NMBU appoint the board of directors. It is led by a director appointed by the board for a four-year term. The centre is the world’s northernmost research and higher education institution, in Longyearbyen at 78° N latitude. The courses offered fall into five main science disciplines: Arctic biology, Arctic geology, Arctic geophysics, Arctic technology and Arctic safety.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Svalbard:
The economy of Svalbard is dominated by coal mining, tourism and research. In 2007, there were 484 people working in the mining sector, 211 people working in the tourism sector and 111 people working in the education sector. The same year, mining gave a revenue of 2.008 billion kr, tourism NOK 317 million and research 142 million. In 2006, the average income for economically active people was NOK 494,700, or 23% higher than on the mainland. Almost all housing is owned by the various employers and institutions and rented to their employees; there are only a few privately owned houses, most of which are recreational cabins. Because of this, it is nearly impossible to live on Svalbard without working for an established institution. The Spitsbergen Treaty and Svalbard Act established Svalbard as an economic free zone and demilitarized zone in 1925.
Isfjord Radio is a coast radio station, weather station and hotel located at Kapp Linné on the island Spitsbergen in Svalbard, Norway. The station was established in 1933, and has played an important role in the telecommunications between the Svalbard archipelago and the outside world. The station was destroyed by both sides during World War II, and rebuilt in 1946. The station was important for ships traffic and air traffic. Satellite communications were established in 1979, but deprecated when a fiber optic cable between Svalbard and the mainland was finished in 2004. Isfjord Radio was automated and depopulated in 1999. Parts of the outdated installations have been preserved as a historical site.
Svalbard Satellite Station or SvalSat is a satellite ground station located on Platåberget near Longyearbyen in Svalbard, Norway. Opened in 1997, it is operated by Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT), a joint venture between Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and the Norwegian Space Centre (NSC). SvalSat and KSAT's Troll Satellite Station (TrollSat) in Antarctica are the only ground stations that can see a low altitude polar orbiting satellite on every revolution as the earth rotates. As of 2021, the facility consists of 100 multi-mission and customer-dedicated antennas which operate in the C, L, S, X and K bands. The station provides ground services to more satellites than any other facility in the world.
Longyearbyen Community Council is the local government for Longyearbyen in Svalbard, Norway. It has many of the same responsibilities of a municipality. It is organized with a 15-member council which since 2011 has been led by Mayor Christin Kristoffersen of the Labour Party. The council's main responsibilities are infrastructure and utilities, including power, land-use and community planning, education from kindergarten to upper secondary level and child welfare. It operates three kindergartens in addition to the 13-grade Longyearbyen School.
Thor Heyerdahl Upper Secondary School is an upper secondary school in Larvik, Norway, named for the explorer Thor Heyerdahl, who was born in the city. It was formed by combining the previous upper secondary schools in Larvik. It is one of the largest upper secondary schools in Norway, with approximately 1,650 students as of December 2013, and offers 10 programmes or courses of instruction. The school was split between several locations until a new building, built as a combined project with Arena Larvik, opened on 17 August 2009.
The history of Ny-Ålesund began in 1610, when coal deposits were discovered around Kongsfjorden. Not until the 1860s were they investigated more carefully. Ålesund-based Peter Brandal bought the claims in 1916 and established the company Kings Bay. The town, originally known as Brandal City and Kings Bay, was founded that summer when coal mining commenced. The first research installation, a geophysical station at Kvadehuken, was established in 1920. The mining was soon unprofitable and was kept running through state subsidies. In the mid-1920s the town was used for a series of airship expeditions towards the North Pole.
Barentsburg Heliport, Heerodden is a private heliport located at Heerodden, serving the mining town of Barentsburg in Svalbard, Norway. The airport is owned and operated by Arktikugol, which also owns the company town. The airport features a 91-by-21-meter runway, two hangars and an administration building with a control tower. There are two Mil Mi-8 helicopters based at Heerodden, which are operated by Spark+. Flights are provided to Svalbard Airport, Longyear and Pyramiden Heliport.
Pyramiden Heliport is a heliport located at Pyramiden in Svalbard, Norway. The airport is owned and operated by Arktikugol, who owns the mining town. The airport consists of a gravel runway and apron measuring 90 by 40 meters and a small terminal building. There is capacity for up to three helicopters on the apron. Flights are carried out by Spark+ using two Mil Mi-8 helicopters. Flights are flown to Barentsburg Heliport, Heerodden and Svalbard Airport, Longyear at irregular intervals.
