Charlotta Svonni, postdoctoral at Várdduo, has recently been awarded the IASC’s Indigenous Fellowship. Her own research, on the other hand, has focused on the school’s curricula on the Swedish side. There she sees a clear challenge in terms of how the curricula have developed over the years.
“Sami gets assimilated in school”
Previously, there were four curricula. They could look different for different schools. Now there is only one with the stated goal that it should be as equal as possible for everyone.
It may be good for the majority population but becomes problematic for the Sami schools, Svonni reasoned.
– One consequence of the education being so streamlined is that you become assimilated, says Charlotta Svonni.
“Needs to have an impact on the curriculum”
She therefore believes that the Sami cultural character will disappear.
In the past, the Sami schools were able to highlight Sami perspectives in several different subjects. For example, biology and geography could previously be linked to both the Sami society and to reindeer husbandry. Today, it is often only the language teaching that distinguishes the Sami schools from other schools, she notes.
– It is important with the Sami languages, but other subjects would also be needed if taught from Sami perspectives, says Charlotta Svonni.
She continues:
– Other subjects would also be needed from Sami perspectives, whatever it may be. There, Sami had had to have an impact on what should be included in the education for Sami today.