7 Contribution of N.F.S.Grundtvig to Adult Education

Asoke Bhattacharya

Content Outline

·         Learning Objectives

·         Introduction

·         Situation in Denmark in the Nineteenth Century

·         Grundtvig’s Life Sketch

·         Grundtvig’s Role in History

·         Evolution of Grundtvig’s thoughts

·         Grundtvig’s idea of School for Life

·         Folk High School of Denmark

·         Danish Folk High Schools Today

·         Summary

N.F.S. Grundtvig (1783-1872) is a well-known name in the area of adult education. A Danish theologian, writer, philosopher, historian, educationist and politician Grundtvig was a pioneer who is credited with establishment of the first adult education institution in the world.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this module students will be able to-

Ø  Recognise Nikolaj Frderik Severin Grundtvig as an innovator of the first adult education institute

Ø  Examine the impact of Danish socio-cultural setting on Grundtvig and his thinking

Ø  Determine the impact of folk schools on Danish people

Introduction

N.F.S. Grundtvig (1783-1872) is a distinguished name in the area of adult education. Son of a parish priest, Grundtvig, was disillusioned by the formal schooling in his time, which he felt was dissociated from social reality. Grundtvig was a pioneer who is credited with establishment of the first adult education institution in the world. He started his institution at Roedding, in Denmark, in the year 1844. Establishment of this institute in Roedding was followed by creation of many more adult education institutions including the one at Ryslinge, started by Christian Kold, a disciple of Grundtvig, and known by many others as Danish Socrates. Son of a shoe-maker, Kold preferred teaching over his family trade and influenced Danish folk education in the 19th century. The adult education institutions, known in Denmark as Folk High Schools were primarily rural institutions and admitted peasant boys of 18 years of age and above and trained them in the historical and cultural tradition of the Nordic nations. It must be noted that entry into these institutions did not require admission test. There was no examination at the end of the course and no certification either. It was an institution where there was free and frank interaction between the learner and the instructor in an atmosphere of freedom and comradeship.

Situation in Denmark in the Nineteenth Century

Today, Denmark is one of the developed nations of the world. It has a literacy rate of 99 per cent for 15 + years population. It ranks fourth according to the 2016 estimates for Human Development Index with an estimated HDI of .925.

What kind of a country was Denmark where Grundtvig was born? The Danish realm had in its possession Norway and German – speaking Schlesvig and Holstein. It was ruled by an absolutist monarch. The Prince Regent and his advisors had in the 1780s carried through a series of reforms which put an end to the feudalistic relationship in agriculture.

Most of the Danes lived in the countryside. Ignorance and backwardness pervaded the countryside. Eighty percent of the people living in the countryside were illiterate. Free primary education was introduced from 1739 but it had little impact. The peasants were ruthlessly exploited. They had lost their spirit for innovation and initiative.

The educated people received their education at the University of Copenhagen. Teaching there was a mechanical grind. Grundtvig said, “The spirit of life is the heart, not the head.” But the heart was never touched in such education. He also said, “Everything that could touch the heart of common man, from Kingo’s hymns to the old ballads and sagas, these friends of Enlightenment reckoned as harmful superstition”.

The Napoleonic War was a turning point as far as the history of Denmark is concerned. France and Great Britain, the two nations at loggerheads, had their eye on the Danish fleet. In 1801 Denmark refused to abandon its armed neutrality pact with Russia and other Baltic powers. The British navy under the command of Nelson attacked the Danish fleet. Denmark was forced to sign a truce agreement.

In 1807, the British again attacked the Danish fleet. They started bombarding Copenhagen. A large portion of the city was burned down. The English captured the entire Danish fleet. Angered by this, the Danes sided with Napolean. Denmark’s foreign trade was practically destroyed. England seized around 2000 Danish ships. The Treaty of Kiel was signed. Denmark had to cecede Norway which was gifted to the King of Sweden. The state went bankrupt. Denmark reached the lowest point in its history.

Grundtvig’s Life Sketch

Grundtvig was the youngest child of his parents. He was born at Udby in South Sjaeland. His father was a parish priest. Grundtvig in his later life said that he learnt the essential things of life from two women – his mother, descendant of an illustrious family and Malene, a crippled woman who was provided shelter by his father.

When Grundtvig was nine years of age, he was sent to a clergyman called Feld who lived in Jutland. Thereafter he spent two years studying at Aarlus Latin School. He was completely disappointed with the mode of teaching there. He found it dull and lifeless. He said that in the school, books were read for the sake of languages and languages learnt for the sake of grammar. He termed this school ‘a black school’.

After graduation from the University, Grundtvig taught as a private tutor. He was then appointed history teacher at Schoubouske Institute in Copenhagen. While teaching there he developed a humanistic view of education.

Grundtvig’s Role in History

Grundtvig witnessed the time when the great agricultural commissions were thoroughly changing Denmark. It was a social transformation. The peasants of Denmark, especially the middle peasants, became a driving force in Denmark. Grundtvig also witnessed the British attack on Copenhagen and the seizure of the Danish fleet (1807), and the cession of Norway (1814), economic bankruptcy (1813). These incidents influenced Grundtivg’s thinking. He was also aware of the French Revolution (1789) though he was also a child then. Grundtvig pondered over the unsettling events of his time and contemplated how Denmark could be saved.

Evolution of Grundtvig’s thoughts

Grundtvig’s earliest statements on education date back to 1802. He was then a student of Copenhagen University. We know from his unpublished diary entries that he was then opposed to physical chastisement and rote learning. Between 1815and 1830, Grundtvig reached a point of clarification in his thought. He arrived at the concept of ‘Danishness’; it was an expression of national identity. He also discovered that the spoken word was instrumental for the enlightenment of the people.

Grundtvig visited England thrice between 1829 and 1831. He went there to study the Anglo-Saxon manuscripts housed in the British archives. This archival material made him appreciate the education system in England. In the colleges of the universities of Cambridge and Oxford where students resided on the University Campus he saw a free and open relationship between the teacher and the student which permitted an informal exchange of experience and knowledge both in lecture hall and outside. This led him to contemplate on establishing similar institutions in Denmark. This he recorded in the introduction to his book on ‘Nordic Mythology’ (1832). At this time, he also, thought of civic and religious freedom and respect for humanity.

Democratic reforms were initiated in Denmark in the 1830s. The first sessions of the Provincial Advisory Councils took place in 1835-36. The debates enthused him greatly. He termed it, ‘Secular resurrection of Word’. In 1836, he wrote his important work on education, ‘The Danish four-leaved clover’. Many other essays and books followed.

Grundtvig’s idea of School for Life

Grundtvig wrote, ‘Even if all our institutions were excellent , and fit for their purpose, still they would have a great lack so long as we lacked a school for life of the people and citizens, in which we all can and must share and which we must also regard as the natural root and spring of all our living efforts.’ Grundtvig also wrote, “Would it be exaggerated to say that three-fourths of the students of Copenhagen can hardly write Danish; know no other history than that of which they have learnt some fragments at school and at the university; …and finally, have no higher goal for their studies than at most to get a first class at their final examination, and after that a well-paid job.” He further wrote, “We, the so-called educated men are educated not to practice for ourselves a stronger, nobler, and kindler life and language than the multitude, but to offend, vex and exalt ourselves over them and each other – never to ask what we ourselves have done or can or will do…’ To escape from such a predicament Grundtvig proposed that boys from the countryside should be provided with such training and education about life itself so that they could creatively mold their life themselves. He proposed the establishment of Folk High Schools where these boys would be taught Danish history and tradition which would root them in the Danish national culture.

Folk High School of Denmark

The first Folk High School started in Denmark way back in 1842 though effective initiation was made in 1844 at Roedding near the border between Schlesvig and Denmark. It was established by intellectuals from Copenhagen, Schlesvig and Kiel with a programme based on Grundtvig’s educational philosophy. The Roedding Folk High School therefore was the first adult education institution in the world. Roedding was followed by many folk high schools like Ryslinge, Marielyst, Udlum etc. After the disastrous war with Prussia in 1864, the folk high school movement proliferated. Hundreds of folk high schools dotted the Danish countryside. Young boys and girls were trained in these folk high schools in the art of life. Later these individuals were instrumental in developing one of the most effective co-operative movements of the world. And such co-operatives changed the face of rural Denmark and transformed the country into a highly egalitarian and industrialised society. Thus it can be rightly said that adult education was instrumental in Denmark’s social and economic transformation.

Danish Folk High Schools Today

The Danish folk high school is a school for adults which emphasizes on general, mind-broadening education. The concept of folk high school is the single most original contribution Denmark has made to international thinking about popular education.  Denmark, popular education encompasses the human being’s entire cultural environment. The Danish tradition of popular education rests on a solidly democratic outlook : no one can claim privileged access to the absolute truth.

There are around seventy folk high schools spread across Denmark, most of them in rural areas or smaller towns. Some are quite old, others more recent. Some are large, and can accommodate several hundred students while others have room for around 30 students. Some are quite wealthy others less well-off. Some are architectural gems others not so. But the most important thing about a folk high school is not its appearance but its atmosphere. The task of the academics here is to create ‘a climate where culture is a reality’.

The folk high schools are residential. They become microcosmic societies with students and staff living, eating and sharing the same daily routine together during the course. Most schools run courses of 4 to 8 months during the winter and shorter courses of 1 to 2 weeks during the summer .The winter courses are chiefly intended for young students of 18 to 23 years, the shorter courses for students of all ages. Over the past few years 50,000 (fifty thousand) students, 2% of the Danish population, attended folk high schools.

There are other types of folk high schools apart from the Grundtvigian model. The folk high schools differ in their focus. There are Christian or spiritual school that focus on spiritual approach to life. There are gymnastic and sports schools that concentrate on physical education. There are lifestyle schools that pay more attention to exercise, diet and personal development. There are specialized schools which cater to those interested in a particular discipline. All these schools offer general education too. Youth folk high schools cater to 16 to 19 year olds. Senior citizen’s schools target the older population and have short courses throughout the year.

The variety of courses offered in folk high schools include:

Literature, History, Psychology, Ecology, IT, Communication, Education, Music, Drama, Sport, Outdoor pursuits, Dance, Art appreciation, Photography, Pottery, Dress – making, Drawing, Development Studies , International politics and so on.

Summary

Grundtvig has a special place in the history of Adult Education. He was the first to establish an adult education institution in Denmark. He was a pioneer and a trend-setter. Disillusioned with existing education system, he established the first folk high school in 1844 where students were trained for life.

Devastated by war and bankruptcy, Denmark was at its lowest ebb in the nineteenth century. The peasants who lived in the countryside were ruthlessly exploited. They had lost their spirit for innovation and initiative. After the disastrous war with Prussia in 1864, the folk high school movement proliferated. Hundreds of folk high schools were started. Young boys and girls were trained in these folk high schools in the art of life. Later these individuals were instrumental in developing one of the most effective co-operative movements of the world. Such co-operatives transformed the country into a highly egalitarian and industrialised society. Today over seventy folk high schools with differing focus are spread across Denmark attracting students with varied interests.

References

     1.A.M.Allchin,N.F.S.Grundtvig,An Introduction to his Life and Work, Aarhus University Press,1997.

2.Asoke Bhattacharya, Education for the People; Concepts of Grundtvig, Tagore ,Gandhi and Freire, Sense Publishers,Rotterdam,Boston,Taipei,2011.

3.Thomas   Rordam, The Danish Folk High  Schools ,Det Danske Selskabet,Copenhagen,1980.

4.Niels Lyhne Jensen et al (eds),A Grundtvig Anthology, Cambridge, Clarke and Viby, Centrum, 1984.

5.Edward  Broadbridge,  Clay  Warren,  Uffe  Jonas  (eds),The    School  for  Life:  N.F.S. Grundtvig on Education for the People, Aarhus University Press,2012.