Helsinki Normal Lyceum

Normal Lyceum of Helsinki (In Finnish; Helsingin normaalilyseo) is a school in Helsinki, Finland, consisting of the upper part of primary school (peruskoulun yläaste, grades 7 to 9) and secondary school (lukio). Unlike most other schools in Helsinki, the school is not owned by the city of Helsinki, but is instead part of the University of Helsinki, which itself is owned directly by the state of Finland. The school is considered one of the most prestigious. It is the second hardest to get into, in the entire country, tied with Ressun Lukio. The most difficult one is Helsingin yliopiston Viikin normaalikoulu, which is also owned by the University of Helsinki. The established nickname for the school is Norssi, which also means a student of the school. Former students who have graduated from the school are called vanha Norssi (Finnish for "old Norssi"). The school has a constant, good-natured rivalry with Ressun lukio (Ressu Upper Secondary School, previously known as "Helsingin reaalilyseo") and Helsingin Suomalainen Yhteiskoulu which are considered even more prestigious than the Normal Lyceum by some. History The Helsinki normal lyceum was initially conceived in the autumn of 1867, when Finnish-speaking classes were added to the Swedish normal lyceum of Helsinki. Because of linguistic political reasons, the Finnish classes were ordered to be discontinued in 1871, but the Finnish schooling continued directly in a privately owned Helsinki Finnish Primary School. In the autumn of 1878, the Primary School moved to a newly built school building at Ratakatu 2 in Punavuori, Helsinki.