Swedish Folk High Schools (Folkhögskolor): Past and Present. A Look from the Polish Perspective

The article presents an outline of the history of Folk High Schools in Sweden. The analysis includes mainly social and political determinants of their functioning in Poland's northern neighbor. The main trends of the evolution of social functions of these institutions has also been presented in the article encompassing 145 years of their functioning: from the educational center for peasantry (before 1918) - through the educational institution catering for the needs of social movements (1918-1968) to the concept of skola for alla (Eng.: School for All). Because of the gaps in international writing in this scope, an emphasis has been put on ideas concerning the origins of Folk High Schools in Sweden as well as on a quantitative analysis of their activities during the last decades. The entire analysis has been presented against the background of Polish interests concerning the Swedish folkhogskolor (and folkbildning) from the half of the 19th century until the present day.