Former Tvind pupil tells of falling foul of "the programme" after a party time of television and sweets

The Guardian, London/July 9, 1993
By Ian Katz, Tom Sharratt and David Ward

Naomi Edwards was 17 in the summer of 1992 when her mother returned to their Salford home with a poster from the Humana shop in Manchester.

It shows photographs of teenagers participating in sporting and educational activities, and the text explained that Tvind started more than 21 years ago with travelling courses, especially to Third World countries.

Naomi, who describes her self as rebellious, claims she did not get an education In conventional schools, so she was attracted to the kind of schooling that Tvind seemed to offer, and was interested in a school at Juelsminde, on the coast of the Jutland.

Eventually Naomi and a friend, Louise Smith, also l7, raised the £500 they needed and enrolled at the Juelsminde school, to start on June 6 last year.

"We had two days to roam the school and had loads of good treatment from teachers, like taking us to swim in the sea. They would try to be like friends. Then they would take us into a room with a telly and sweets, like party time.

Naomi claims other children told her that pupils were expected to conform to something called the programme, and alleges that children would be beaten if they failed to follow It.

Naomi also recalls that black youngsters from southern Africa were housed in the school's domestic block. "They were supposed to be getting an education, but it was all cooking and cleaning."

Before the school term was due to start the two girls decided to get out, but they were caught. Naomi says they were accused of not following the programme. She claims she was beaten by the head and another woman teacher.

The two girls were eventually allowed to leave, and returned home.