Background and history:
| Lundsvågen naturskole originates from a local PT project started at Austbø Secondary School in 1989. The school needed a boathouse for canoes near the sea, and the deputy headmaster, Tor Sigurd Nielsen, brought in pupils with special needs to take part in building the house. In this way children who often drop out when doing theoretical subjects, were given practical work they could manage. |
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Soon
teachers doing natural science at Austbø discovered the possibilities of using the sea
and shore for practical purposes in their own instruction. This created a new necessity
for buildings in the area like classrooms, toilets, piers, and of course aquariums. Being
in this entreprenuer phase Tor Sigurd gradually moved from the classroom and into a
building site by the sea were pupils with special needs were given a more practical
education. And the activities soon developed into what was later called Austbø Maritime
Centre (AMC).
After some
time maritime excursions were combined with the education of children with special needs,
and these two activities soon became the main pillars of the centre. By using pupils with
special needs as assistants during the excursion these children were given meaningful
tasks and social intercourse with children of their own age.
During the
years of 1990 and 1991 the leaders and staff of Austbø recognized the great potentials of
the centre and started a co-operation with the local school authorities in Stavanger. And
soon AMC was born as a permanent offer to children and classes in the town.
The
Department of Education in Stavanger determined in October 1991 to establish a centre with
a certain object;
1.
To give children from 10 to 15
practical education in subjects like
2.
To give those children between 12 and
16 with special needs an
 |
they had the responsibility of running
a school |
|
the right name of the centre ought to be Lundsvågen naturskole |
|
the school was a natural equalization
of similar schools in Scandinavia. |