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Project’s description and history
Project “Promotion of flexible learning in new environments through European
network of Folk High Schools” aims to develop relations between adult education
institutions and FHS and to develop and to strengthen FHS movement in Europe on
the ground of European dimension – to create European network of FHS as a tool
for improving the supply and availability of learning opportunities for adults
through the development, exchanging and dissemination of innovative education
approaches and good practice.
During 3 years 8 European adult education institutions will work together
joining the knowledge and experience in order to achieve innovative results.
European network of FHS will be created and will be used as a tool for
exchanging of information, experiences, for developing, disseminating of
innovative training methods; the fulfilled comparative analysis of functioning
principles of FHS and of similar institutions will improve organizational and
managing structure of FHS and will offer a valuable contribution of finding a
response to the situation of FHSs; the developed material on flexible learning
in new environments will help to develop the model of FHS; updated database
Alice will rise the information flow in non-formal sector in Europe.
The project outcomes will be used by the managers, adult educators, trainers,
tutors, teaching staff, researchers, governmental officials and will adapted for
adult learners of the sections of wide populations.
Dissemination of the project will be ensured by created network of partners who
will be responsible on dissemination of results in their countries. In future
the Network will be expanded by members of other countries.
The Folk High Schools is unique institutional structure going back one hundred
years. It offers a wide variety of learning opportunities to adults from
different backgrounds. FHS are very important educational institutions with
regard to life long learning processes. The concept of life long learning is a
key for the 21.century. It links up the idea of the learning society and the
learning organization. The idea of bringing the adults back to learning also
enriches the educational process, because adults have experiences from practical
life, which a good teacher can integrate in the educational process.
The experience of National Association of Folk High Schools in Lithuania in
working with Folk High Schools in Sweden and other adult education institutions
emphasizes the importance of innovating approaches: network activities and
exchanging information, developing the methods of non- formal adult education,
international comparisons of the structure of FHS. All these will stimulate the
innovating life-long learning with European dimension.
As previous preparatory work we can mention the participation in the project:
“Folk High School in Lithuania – Nordic Folk High School experience” in
1997-2000, preparatory visit 85001-PV-1-1999-1-LT-ADULT EDUC-ADPV in Hungarian
Society of FHS, participating at International conference ““FHS and European
Integration” Poland in 1998; NGO leaders courses and meetings in Nordic Folk
Academy, translation in to Lithuanian and publishing the book of Swedish
educators “Folk education. Swedish experience”; publishing the doctor thesis
“Danish FHS – phenomenon of developing personality democratism” by Povilas
Kuprys – president of NALMA, participating in international conferences and
seminars together with different kind adult education institutions.
All these experiences showed a lack of information about the real situation in
FHS in Europe. FHSs are in crisis in a number of Scandinavian countries: a great
number of FHS are closed, a part of FHS has overcapacity and also financial
problems, the number of students is decreasing; others FHS are functioning
enough successfully owing to extremely different conditions existing in their
countries; FHS are not existing in South of Europe –– only institutions with
similar activity. We can recognized that some elements of crisis of FHS are
associated with the needs of the development of the organizational and managing
structure of FHS, as well as with the improvement and application of the new
learning methods. The innovating potential is needed: FHS have to revert to new,
innovative methods and approaches - network activities and exchange of
information not only between FHS but between different kind of Adult Education
institutions too. It leaded to the conclusion – European network of FHS is
necessary: Folk High Schools need information about each other activities, about
their non- formal adult education system for international comparisons and about
innovating learning with European dimension: life-long learning, stimulation of
international relations, aspiration of qualitative results of education, the
importance of new environment of education
FHS in Europe as most democratic institutions implementing the Life Long
Learning process have to strengthen their position in non-formal education
system in Europe.
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