Popular education is characterised by the fact that it is free and voluntary, i.e. participants choose their own participation, subject and activity. It is the interests of the participants that govern.
What characterises popular education?
These are some areas that characterise popular education.
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Folkbildning is participant-driven, which means that participants can influence its organisation and content and that it is based on their needs and experiences.
Education is an ongoing process with room for self-exploration and experimentation.
The journey is more important than the destination or how the group works towards its goal is more important than the outcome.
All participants' experiences and knowledge that can contribute to the group's endeavour towards its goal are important.
The circle leader is not always the subject matter expert in a study circle. In a study circle, everyone helps with the content and the group's learning.
This means that everyone in a circle can help to find content for study materials and study plans. Even an individual participant can contribute, for example, an article that leads to a deeper understanding of the circle's topic. Nobody has the whole truth.
Studies are not curriculum- or grade-driven; in adult education, people design their own study plans. Sometimes you can get a certificate or diploma showing that you have participated in a study circle.
Knowledge and experience, when we share them with others, awaken insights that increase our commitment and participation. It can give people the tools to re-evaluate their thinking.
Folkbildning is diverse in terms of what it offers, is often rooted in popular movements and is characterised by the profile of each organiser in terms of ideology and/or content.
People's encounters and dialogue are at the heart of all popular education activities.
