En skola för nation, kyrka eller lokalsamhälle? Folkskolan som församlingsskola under 1860-talet

The relationship between church and school is a frequently recurring point of discussion in educational history research. It is a question that encompasses the financing and organization of the school system, but also the school's teaching, its content and social and cultural function. In this regard, different interpretations have also been made of the 19th century school system, where the Swedish public school was to varying degrees linked to the formation of the nation-state, the church and local society.

This chapter contributes to this discussion through an analysis of the organization, financing and teaching content of the Swedish public schools after the 1842 Public School Statute. I will present arguments for the fact that the Swedish public school should primarily be understood as the school of the church and local society, rather than a state, national school. Despite the fact that it was given the name public school, there are therefore good reasons to call it a parish school during the 19th century. In the conclusion of the chapter, I will discuss what consequences this may have for our theoretical conceptualization of the public school. Here I will argue that concepts such as discipline, civic education and control can be misleading when talking about the 19th century of public schooling, as they lead the mind astray. Great caution should also be exercised with the use of the concept of the state when it comes to this period.