Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-04-17
fBy G. s. ~strandxoldl

NA~S go
In a preceding article. stress was
laid on the fact that the great EGO
nomic progress made in Denmark.
within the last half century is not due
to Socialism, but to highly dAvel-;
oped national consciousness and Ito
the prevailing. system Of popular edu-
cation. - ~ 4
It. is generally said that the state
rank among the, best in, Europe. and
some observers have even made the
claim that they are better than the
schools In. any other country. How,
ever that$may, be, 1.-The fac remains
that a very high standard of efficien-
cy is maintained in all the DEPART
ments Of state education, and that ii
mainly due; to the exceedingly thor
ough methods used in training teach
ers. =. - ~
But it is not the primary school,
nor the Latin schools, nor h uni
versity which is the chief source of
the fame that attaches to the system
Of popular education in Denmark. 1t
is the unique institution known as the
peoples high school"-which is an
inadequate translation Of the original
"Folkehoejskole."
Difficult to Define. ,
English and American writer's who
sOcSu S@uuyluE Ddi1Sil SOlIOAIIOllo,
have always found it a battling task
to define exactly what is the essential
nature, of the school because there is
nothing exactly corresponding to it
in other countries. Similar establish
ments have been built in Norway,
Sweden. Finland, Germany, England,
at Tyler, Mimi. Grant, Mich. Solvang,
Cal, and Nysted. Neb., and it is re-
ported that the Russell Sage Founda-
| <ior hos -ol1~%4A <h4 Darjuh coho~
idea in certain sections Of the south
where a magnificent educational cam.
paign is in progress just now. Tt
some extent Booker T. Washington in.
troduced the Danish methods at the
Tuskegee Institute.
And yet it seems that the people!
high school thrives only in its native
soil; the principles underlying it ant
the spirit governing it, are so VITAL,
tionalism that it is almost impossible
to transplant the institutions success
fully.
AS to the significance of the peo
ple's high school,, let it here suffice t.
say hat this particular form of pop
ular education constitutes the founda
ton Of the extensive and importan
cooperative system in ,Penmar1
d which is conditioned upon a high de
| 81 U Va
Aim of High Schools.
There are now about ninety PEG
|ple's high schools in Denmark, tn
largest Of which has a regular an
nual attendance Of about 100 pupil
while, the minimum number Of pupil
! at the smallest of the schools varie
between 20 and 80. The schools ar
, fees, expenses for room and board
together r.. with little incidental
> amount to a total Of about s51 /
, American none for a term of fiv
months. ut is quite probable thu
: these amounts, have been increase
, during the period of the war, but sta
, = istics to that effect are not. availabl
here:yet). >.
!. young men and women between til
age OF 10 and 25- years, and a vel
! large majority Of the pupils are sol
: and daughters Of farmers:
! A remarkable feature Of. the pei
= pies high school system is that
does not make use Of text books.
r depends almost exclusively upon tt
/. spoken word, and connective lectur,
!. are given on a. large variety of sol
jects. na s =.
The program Of the schools appa
r entity is very flexible and, it seems I
some, ,too informal, but it serves tt
main purpose which is to give tt
pupils a broad cultural rather than
Vocational training.
Practical Topics Studied.
i Emphasis is placed on the study
3 Danish language, literature and hi
tory; general European history; -ci
It, les; geography; sciences and hygien
arithmetic; drawing; singing; gym
n nastics; domestic arts; agricultur
: chemistry; astronomy; rudimenta1
bookkeeping and other subjects whit