INFLUENCE OF THE EDUCATIONAL CONCEPT OF FOLK HIGH SCHOOLS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFTERSCHOOL EDUCATION IN DENMARK

Abstract

The article highlights the peculiarities of the formation of the Danish system of afterschool education, schools of post-basic secondary education, grounded on the concept of folk high school. It is noted that early folk high schools were a kind of boarding schools with the possibility of living exclusively for villagers to help them realize their identity through Danish language, history, literature, Scandinavian cultural heritage, as well as through the study of mathematics, basics of medicine and development of practical agricultural skills. It is emphasized that the Danish educational tradition of folk high schools has helped to create a culture of education focused on the individual who is eager to learn, and based on the shared responsibility of each participant in the educational process for the quality of educational activities and personal development. It is established that modern afterschool education, which differ in subject profiles (art, humanities, sports, etc.) and target groups of students with certain special needs, are designed for young Danes who are not sure what they want to do in the future after basic secondary education, or have difficulty socializing. Today Danish afterschool education, regardless of the field of the specialization have a common educational focus on the education of a fully developed individual with a well-established democratic citizenship based on the study of the cycle of general education disciplines and involvement in socially significant activities. Education in these secondary schools, where students and teachers are together around the clock in an educational environment, is built on the principles of equality and mutual respect, which helps young people build strong friendships with peers and promotes effective dialogue and active cooperation of all participants of the educational process. The main directions of changes that have taken place in the educational activities of afterschool education are outlined. And the prospects for further development of these institutions of secondary education in Denmark due to the universalism of education, derived from the Grundtvigian concept of “Schools for Life” are considered.