September conference focuses on what local study associations in the Nordic countries can learn from each other

A mapping project on local study associations in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland shows that they are incredibly different in their organisation and practices, even though they share many values. The study will be published in August and will be the focal point of a conference in September.

In all the Nordic countries, middle-aged women in particular enrol in courses at local study associations every year to learn new skills outside the formal education system. 

The high proportion of women attending courses is one of the common features of evening classes in the Nordic countries, which are otherwise characterised by great diversity.

These are among the findings of a new mapping project on local study associations in the Nordic countries carried out by The Danish Institute for Non-Formal Education in collaboration with a number of Nordic partners and funded by the Nordic Council's Nordplus programme.

One of the objectives of the mapping project has been to make the sector more aware of itself and enable the study associations to learn from each other, which is why Vifo, in collaboration with the Nordic Association for Adult Education, invites all interested parties to a conference at Vartov in Copenhagen on Thursday 19 September to present the results of the study and discuss the role of non-formal adult education in the Nordic countries.

"The study provides the first systematic overview of similarities and differences between local study associations in the Nordic countries. It shows that local study associations are actually very different in terms of the way they organise themselves and the activities they offer, which is why we believe there is a lot they can learn from each other," says Malene Thøgersen, senior analyst at Vifo, who coordinated the study. 

Surveys in four Nordic countries

The study will be published in August and is based on four country studies from Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland, where the local study associations have been analysed on nine different parameters:

•    The national definition of a local study association
•    The historical development of the sector
•    Laws and regulations in the field
•    Economic structures
•    Organisation
•    Types of activities
•    Facilities for teaching
•    Teachers and activity leaders
•    Who participates in the activities

At the conference, the researchers behind the study will first present the results from each country before senior analyst Malene Thøgersen and head of centre Henriette Bjerrum from Vifo identify key differences and similarities across the countries as a prelude to a panel debate with themes for common inspiration such as volunteering, the democratic role of study associations and their roots in local communities.

The conference ends with a series of presentations on, among other things, co-operation on non-formal adult education across the Nordic countries and inspiration from the folk high school world on how to work with the values of non-formal adult education in practice.

See the full programme (in Danish) 

Sign up for the conference at LOF