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KASHUBIAN FOLK HIGH SCHOOL:
ALMOST 30 YEARS AT SERVICE OF POMERANIAN,
POLISH AND EUROPEAN ADULT EDUCATION
T. Maliszewski
The concept of Folk High School (FHS) is one of the most valuable ideas developed over the past two hundred years. Rooted in the 19th century philosophical tradition of Scandinavia, they constitute significant elements of educational system in a few tens of countries in all continents. As it is known - their origin is connected with N.F.S. Grundtvig - distinguished Dane, who already in the 1830’s coined the term "school for life” which was later creatively developed into the idea of FHS. Civic education and awakening national awareness were to be the main objectives of that pedagogical innovation, along with, almost from the very begging of their existence, popularising knowledge both about the country and the region, with environmental (ecological) education, dissemination of modern agricultural knowledge, as well as cultural, social and educational animation, in the broad sense of the term, of local communities. The idea of education based on such aspects as residential courses, teacher - student partnership, using the life experience of students and "living word” was promptly accepted all over Scandinavia and, later on, in many other places in the world. In the Polish andragogical literature it is accepted that the first Polish institution of FHS type was established in Pszczelin in 1900. The famous institution in Dalki near Gniezno (1921), headed by rev. A. Ludwiczak was the first FHS after Poland had regained independence in 1918. From among FHSs operating in the period between the two World Wars the schools of I. Solarz in Szyce and Gac (1924-1939) need at least to be mentioned, because their achievements have been best studied in a scientific way and popularised. There are also gradually discovering also other accomplishments of those times - both secular and church based. The FHS formula was also used during the World War II (e.g. N. Kozlowski, F. Poplawski). The dynamic development of the movement after the WW II was unfortunately almost interrupted in 1948 because of its "ideological independence”. After ‘Polish Stalinism’, in 1956, a few schools were allowed to function. It was only the radical change of 1989/1990 that resulted in more and more independent educational initiatives. In today’s Poland, there are still some educational institutions referring to the tradition of FHSs.
Kashubian Folk High School (KFHS) [Polish: Kaszubski Uniwersytet Ludowy] was launched in the year 1982/1983. The first decade of its operation was devoted mainly to educating employees of rural centres of culture from Pomeranian regions. From the very beginning of its existence, the
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School also dealt with educational and cultural issues of the Kashubian region (Northern Poland). Based on the co-operation with creative communities, with a group of independent teachers-regionalists and the university communities in Gdansk and Torun, KFHS implemented programmes aimed at stimulating active participation of rural communities. It seems to have made good use of the opportunities provided by the change of the political, economic and social system of the last two decades. The programme offer was lightly modified by adapting it to the conditions of local self-governance and democracy. The social perception confirms that the proposed directions of educational activity have been well chosen.
KFHS has had its main office in Wiezyca (Kartuzy District) for almost three decades. In the 1990s, the shortage of space, both classrooms and accommodation, became one of the main barriers to its further development - it could neither accept all the candidates nor widen it educational offer. In the spring of 1995, the School managed to acquire a 19th century mansion with a park in Starbienino near Choczewo (Wejherowo District), where, after considerable repair work, a branch was opened and now KFHS manages two objects in two different parts of the Pomeranian Region. Formally, Kashubian FHS (since 1997: named after Jozef Wybicki) is a non-public educational institution, operating as a foundation under the patronage of Kashubian-Pomeranian Association.
The main directions of the activity of KFHS focus on civic education, cultural (regional, multicultural) education and environmental protection, which results both from the tradition and the challenges of the contemporary world. These are the pillars of almost all the programmes of the School.
Civic education has always been the most important task of KFHS. The social competences acquired there considerably complement vocational and professional competences that can be acquired in the official public educational/andragogical system. The numerous initiatives that Kashubian FHS proposes every year mean that it does its best to fulfil its commitments towards local and regional communities based on the traditions. For many years the School has co-operated with various nongovernmental organisations and local authorities of the Pomeranian region and the mayors, organising lectures or longer courses on civic education for them. KFHS has delivered many courses on local self-governance and building the structures of a democratic country. In recent years, the institution has also been involved in training journalists for the local press. It is a task that cannot be overestimated in the process of building a civic society in our country in the areas away from big urban agglomerations. Kashubian
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FHS also actively supports and promotes various initiatives of independent education, providing advice and technical assistance in that respect.
Regional education understood as supporting the development of regional culture and popularisation of various forms of artistic activity is the second most important function of Kashubian FHS. What we mean here is indicating the need to live in compliance with the region, its traditions, culture and history and the necessity to respect and creatively develop the achievements of the "small motherland”. For many years now Wiezyca FHS has been involved in a number of tasks aimed at the protection of Kashubi-an folk culture and continuation of the local crafts and artistic traditions: open-air artistic workshops and courses for amateur artists, concerts, shows, etc. KFHS organises workshops for folk artists, teachers and children with the purpose of supporting the declining areas of crafts and folk culture. They help to continue the traditions of embroidery, wooden sculpture, weaving, pottery, plaiting, horn craft, etc. Re-establishing the tradition of glass painting is also the effect of the initiatives taken up by KFHS. A number of workshops on annual rites organised by folk artists and taking place in Wiezyca are also worth mentioning here. KFHS often works as an intermediary in the international exchange visits of groups of artists. In its cultural and educational activities, the School tries to combine tradition with modernity. In its main office in Wiezyca, there is thus a unique permanent exhibition of modern Kashubian art. The works of folk artists are also frequently shown in the branch in Starnienino. The school wants to preserve Pomeranian culture and tradition, protect and popularise what is most valuable and what can be the region’s contribution to the united Europe.
Ecology constitutes the third pillar of the activity of Kashubian FHS. On the one hand, it results from the tradition of FHSs in which the necessity to live according to nature has always been emphasised. On the other hand, however, the School is located in the region of Poland where considerable areas have been saved from degradation. The activities focus mainly on developing a universal programme of environmental protection knowledge, developing nature friendly attitudes and popularising environmentally friendly ideas. It is the ambition of KFHS to develop a strategy of eco-development of the Northern Poland, the strategy aimed at preserving the extraordinary assets of the area and popularising the principles of sustainable development. Seminars and conferences, ecological study images, "Green Academies”, courses on environmentally friendly farming, work for local sustainable development are prepared and organised to suit that purpose and to reach the biggest possible number of people - the youth, teachers, local authority representatives and farmers - with modern
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knowledge on environmental protection. The premises of the KFHS are an ideal starting point for various forms of the so called "soft tourism” - environmentally friendly. The Centre of Environmental Education was established in 1995 in Starbienino in co-operation with our Danish partners, Gdansk Technical University and ecologists. The Centre is equipped with unique technical solutions, including: a wind turbine, solar batteries to heat water, bio-fuel central heating furnace, biological sewage treatment plant, energy saving and soundproof windows and water use saving facilities. The facilities are also used for demonstration purposes during courses.
Co-operation with similar institutions from other countries plays an important role in the activities of KFHS, which constantly develops its international contacts. Many educational and cultural projects reaching far beyond Poland were prepared and implemented thanks to such a cooperation. Today, Kashubian FHS closely co-operates with a few FHSs from Germany, maintains and develops its traditional contacts with many educational institutions in Denmark, Sweden and Ukraine, and is fairly successful in taking up co-operation with twin institutions/organisations in many other countries (e.g.: Belorussia, Estonia, Finland, Holland, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Norway, Russia).
FHSs have been able to effectively educate hundreds of thousands enlightened citizens, active in developing democracy. The more detailed tasks of them should include the following: (a) promulgation of the idea and practical solution on sustainable social and economic development of the region; (b) implementation of tasks on multi-aspect regional education and preservation of local cultural and cultural-nature heritage; (c) promotion of civic education, local democracy and social partnership; (d) activities for socially excluded/marginalised groups and individuals; (e) leisure time programming that develops individual needs of the members of the community in which the school functions.
The example of Kashubian FHS, which works in northern part of Poland, is a good illustration of all these activities.
References
Selected literature of Kashubian FHS:
Borowska S., Plata H., Kaszubski Uniwersytet Ludowy - o UL-owskiej idei na Pomo-rzu Gdanskim. „Edukacja Ustawiczna Dorostych” 2007, nr 4(59), s. 84-90.
Byczkowska S., Byczkowski M., Maliszewski T., Kaszubski Uniwersytet Ludowy u progu XXI wieku. „Oswiatowiec” 2002, nr 1(11), s. 44-64.
Folk High School - School for Life, edited by M. Byczkowski, T. Maliszewski, E. Przybylska. Kashubian FHS, Wiezyca 2003.
Maliszewski T., Between history and future of adult education: Nicolaj Grundtvig and his concept of lifelong learning, [w:] A. Lobanov, V. N. Scvortsov (eds), Lifelong Education. Continuous education for sustainable development. Proceedings of International Coopera-
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tion. Vol. 8, Leningrad State University n.a. A.S. Puszkin,Saint-Petersburg 2010. S. 450453.
Малишевский Т.Т., Кашубский Народный Университет как пример новаторства в области просвещения взрослых, [w:] А.В. Лунев и др. (ред.), Инновационные процессы в профессиональном образовании, Российский университет кооперации - Калининградский филиал, М., 2008. С. 22-29.
Obracht-Prondzynski C., Maliszewski T., Pomorski KUL - uniwersytet ludowy Zrzeszenia Kaszubsko-Pomorskiego, [w:] T. Aleksander (red.), Edukacja dorostych jako czynnik rozwoju spotecznego. Materiaty I Ogolnopolskiego Zjazdu Andragogicznego -Krakow, 23-24 czerwca 2009 - T. II. Uniwersytet Jagiellonski, Krakow 2009, s. 353-364.
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