PART IV ANDRAGOGICAL POTENTIAL OF INFORMAL EDUCATION Chapter 17. PEOPLE'S UNIVERSITIES

Lecture



In the very name of "popular" schools, courses, universities clearly indicated that this type of educational institutions are addressed to the broad masses of the population. You can talk about two main directions in the development of popular forms of education. The first of these is associated with the opening of special institutions focused on a certain segment of the population: workers, peasants, the elderly, and representatives of national cultures. The second direction is due to the search for forms that allow us to push the boundaries of university audiences and ensure access of a wide range of students to academic knowledge.

Folk forms for adults and adults are characterized by:

- the social nature of management;

- the voluntary nature of the training;

- variability of programs and terms of training;

- a combination of forms of popularization of scientific knowledge with applied studies;

- creating a comfortable educational environment for communication between adults;

- the possibility of social and psychological protection in the conditions of social change.

The activity of this type of educational institutions is based on the principles of democracy, openness and accessibility.

Among public educational institutions that contribute to raising the general and professional culture of the population regardless of education and age, folk schools and universities occupy a special place. The first of these institutions, called the "Higher Folk School" ("Folke hoj skolen"), was founded in Denmark by a public figure and educator N. Gruntvig (1844). The ideas about the creation of such institutions were set forth by him in the book "School for Life" (Skolen for Livet og Akademiet I Soro, 1838) and meant mainly to promote education for people over 17 years old who did not receive compulsory education.

Educational institutions under the name People’s Peasant Higher Education Institutions originated in Norway (1864), Shchechn (1868) and Finland (1889). They didn’t give their graduates * formal rights, their curricula and programs were not formally approved. (popular lectures on general educational programs in Sochi, with practical classes in agronomy, cooking veterinary medicine, etc.

As a form of adult education, folk schools have been preserved i Europe so far. There are 107 high public schools in Denmark. They represent courses lasting from 4 months to {months, as well as short summer courses that include programs in philosophy, history of ideas, music, drama, knitting. There are no exams. Institutions are privately owned.

There are 91 folk schools in Finland. The majority of them: they are either private or belong to associations, political parties, trade unions and other movements. Training in schools is often of a sociocultural orientation, sometimes professional. Courses last 1 - 3 years. The state in some cases] covers up to 55% of expenses, students pay 20%, and the rest of the expenses are borne by the schools.

There are 186 public schools in Sweden and 82 in Norway.

In 1867, D. Stu, a teacher at Cambridge University, developed the Regulations on University Extension (in translation - university expansion), which offered courses in popular lectures on one of the subjects, subsequent discussions of lectures and writing! Works on lecture topics. In 1870, the courses were transformed] by the type of University Extention, the name of which was

The work of the people was organized on the same principle: universities in Germany, Belgium, France and other European countries, in each of which adult education differed in its content and organizational specifics. For example, in France, Universite Populaire had the character of a debating club.

Later, in 1890, the idea of ​​spreading university education reached America. At the initiative of the American Society, similar universities for the people opened in Chicago, Baltimore and some other cities.

Among the new social initiatives of Russia at the beginning of the 20th century, a special place belonged to the idea of ​​popular universities. Their predecessors were appeared in the 80s-90s of the XIX century. private courses for adults.

The Prechistensky courses in Moscow, opened in 1897 by the Moscow branch of the Russian Technical Society, became the most famous. These free evening general education courses for workers were taught by a professor at Moscow University - I. M. Sechenov, A. N. Reformatorsky, N. V. Chekhov, and others.

Since 1906, societies of people's universities have arisen in Moscow, St. Petersburg, then in Astrakhan, Voronezh, Samara, Saratov, Rostov, Pskov and other cities of Russia. Universities, open on the initiative of these societies, were heterogeneous in terms of educational goals, structure, content of the disciplines studied, forms and methods of teaching.

A special type of public educational institutions in Russia has become a city people's university. In 1908, one of these universities was established in Moscow at the expense of the public figure A.Sha-Nyavsky. The University lectured such scientists as P. P. Blonsky, V. I. Vernadsky, N. D. Zelinsky, I. A. Kablukov, A. P. Pavlov, K. A. Timiryazev, A. E. Fersman, A.U. Zelenko and others. There were two departments - a popular science (4-year, in the volume of the gymnasium) and an academic (3-year, in the volume of the university program in two cycles of science - natural-historical and socio-philosophical) . In 1912, over 3,600 students studied at the university.

At the beginning of 1908, the First All-Russian Congress of People’s Universities Societies was held in St. Petersburg. About 500 representatives took part in it.

After the October Revolution of 1917, people's universities received the name of workers' and peasants. In the period 1925-31. on the basis of higher and other educational institutions, workers' universities were created to raise the level of general education, expand the general technical and political knowledge of workers, and also peasant universities, where they studied agriculture and collective farm construction.

In the 1950s, public universities began to revive and apply a new form of mass cultural and educational work, propaganda of humanitarian and scientific and technical knowledge. Their founders were the organizations of the society "Knowledge", the Ministry of Education, Culture, Higher and Secondary Special Education, Public Health, creative unions, trade unions. People's universities, covering most branches of the economy, science, technology, art, were divided into three types: the development of general education (enlightenment), professional development, and training in public professions.

By 1986, in our country there were 39 thousand public universities (20 million students, 750 thousand teachers), education was conducted on 42 knowledge profiles, within which there was a more detailed specialization. Managers (rector, dean) worked on a voluntary basis. People's universities were headed by councils that included leaders, trainees, representatives of the parent organizations. The Central Council of Public Universities acted (1968 - 1991) under the "Knowledge" society. Education in public universities was free, carried out "on the job." On the basis of public universities, activities began to create centers of continuous education.

At the turn of the 1980s – 1990s, in connection with the restructuring, the system of national universities virtually ceased to exist. To a certain extent, its successor can be considered numerous courses for adults, which have arisen at higher and secondary specialized educational institutions, voluntary societies, creative unions, etc. In contrast to popular universities, these courses do not pursue broad educational and educational purposes. Their programs are strictly applied in nature. As a rule, this is accelerated teaching of individual skills or professions that are in demand in the new economic conditions (teaching foreign languages, mastering computers, marketing, etc.). Training is carried out on a fee basis. Commercialization of educational services violated the principle of universal access to education. In general, at this stage, there was a sharp reduction in educational structures engaged in general education, but the number of various forms of vocational training and advanced training increased.

Since the mid-1990s, national universities for national education of adults, groups for the study of religion and history, religious teaching in confessional communities have appeared and began to work actively on a voluntary basis in Russia and the former Soviet republics. In the second half of the 1990s, adult education in the form of national universities received a new impetus. Its main objectives are:

- the development of personal qualities that create the prerequisites for an adult for a decent life and successful participation in public and professional life;

- satisfaction of diverse individual educational needs and interests of an adult who do not fit into the framework of formal education;

- compensation for the lack of knowledge and skills generated in the previous socio-economic conditions;

- the development of a common culture;

- the formation of human mobility in the rapidly changing conditions of the modern world;

- the organization of meaningful communication of adult students on the basis of joint training;

- educational activities for all segments of the adult population.

In St. Petersburg in 1998, the Higher Folk High School was opened, where classes are held with 600 students in more than 30 training courses. There is a board of trustees, a council of self-government, a scientific and methodological council. Classes in the local history, poetry clubs, clubs "In the world of the beautiful", "Health without drugs", "Eurovision", etc. are conducted by famous scientists, the best employees of scientific and educational institutions, museums. Work on the study of foreign languages, Esperanto. In conducting a number of courses, including applied ones, the participants themselves participate.

The existence and development of people's universities greatly complicates and deprives of stability the absence of legislation, and therefore, targeted funding in the field of adult education. In modern conditions, sources of funding can be funds earned by public schools and universities as public organizations, or sponsorship.

In the system of people's institutions, universities of the third age hold a special place. The change in the age structure of the population is one of the great achievements of the 20th century. - It has become one of the main problems of mankind, associated with many unsolved social, economic, cultural, medical, and pedagogical tasks. The growth in the number of elderly people in Europe, including Russia, is historically unprecedented. Their number has exceeded 20%, and in Russia it is almost a third of the population. Universities of the third age - the response of the adult education system to the historical change in the emphasis of social development in the direction of "the society of the elderly". It is no coincidence that 1999 was declared by the United Nations as the International Year of Older Persons, which was held under the motto "On the way to society for people of all ages."

Adult education at retirement age is not focused on obtaining a profession or on securing better employment. His goal is personal development, social adaptation and communication of people, the preservation of their active life position. The peculiarities of training for elderly people are the introduction of colossal life experience and high motivation into the educational process.

Education in universities of the third age is built, as a rule, on the basis of the students' own activity and constant dialogue with the teacher and is not governed by mandatory programs. Especially important is the factor of human communication of older people. This is facilitated by the integration of elderly people in their interests, the creation of conditions that ensure a life perspective, high social activity, and the organization of regular meetings with representatives of government bodies, academics, scientists and cultural figures.

At present, over 220 million people study in the world in the programs of universities of the third age. Specially trained specialists work with older people - andragogues, psychologists, social educators, gerontologists. Such programs are partially or fully funded by the state. Educational work with older people is also carried out by unequal and charitable organizations, trade unions, and movements of various political orientations.

A significant part of Russian pensioners, unfortunately, continue to remain outside the sphere of non-formal education. Work with them in most cases is organized only in other regions of the country, most often at the initiative of society (Knowledge ". The activities of third-age public universities in Kirov, Tver, Omsk, Chelyabinsk, Tyumen, Kurgan, Orel, 1 Slav, Kursk, Tula) "Knowledge" convincingly testifies to the active desire and desire of residential people to improve their educational level. The big breaks are their educational programs on longevity, psychological assistance to lonely, sick, disabled people, to study the history of the native land, the ecology of life, elderly people want to join the arts, learn foreign languages, learn the basics of computer literacy.

In Orel in 1997, the People’s University of the Third Age was established. 3 there are faculties of law, medicine, local history, psychosocial, gardening and horticulture, arts and crafts, orthodoxy history. The university is attended by over 300 people. For students, training, informational cycles of lectures, meetings with healthcare professionals, law, politicians, deputies of the State Duma, and specialists of regional administrations are organized.

Under the Tyumen organization, the Knowledge Society, in 2001 the National University of the Third Age began to work, in which retired students study. For them, free-of-charge training is provided at the faculties of rights, health, psychological, history of Russian art, "garden-eo-eod" The opening of the faculty of pedagogy is planned so that older people can professionally raise their grandchildren.

In Chelyabinsk, the regional organization of the society "Knowledge" is open People's University of the elderly. Older people and those who experience social discomfort can get free knowledge at university departments of health, economics and law, agronomic political. In addition, the university program provides lectures on art, family pedagogy and other areas of knowledge.

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The non-state educational institution of additional adult education The People’s University in Staraya Russa was founded in 2000 with the support of the Education Committee of Staraya Russa and the Starorussky district. People's University is an institution that solves the tasks primarily professional education of adults. It organizes various courses both on a paid and free (for socially unprotected groups of the population) basis. At the end of the course, people who successfully complete the training receive a certificate of the established sample. The duration of training courses is from one week to 1.5 years.

Questions for self-control

1. If you were to lead the Board of Trustees of the National University, which categories of the adult population would you suggest teaching? In what scientific and practical areas would you organize training?

2. What well-known scientists, public figures, politicians, representatives of the art world would you like to listen to and why?

3. What topics, courses, cycles of lectures would you suggest to listen to your parents, grandparents and grandparents within the framework of the system of national education? Does the XXI century information society need? is it a form of education like folk schools and universities? Justify the answer.

Recommended literature

Arabazhin K. I. People's University in St. Petersburg: Report by the Chairman of the Commission on the Device of Courses of General Education Subjects at S.-Pb. Pedagogical Society of Mutual Assistance in the Educational Committee of the Pedagogical Museum on January 8, 1898 - St. Petersburg, 1898.

Gebel V. Out-of-school education in Western Europe and North America. - M., 1989.

Darinsky A.V. Folk universities - self-education centers. - M., 1977.

Dubrovina L.V. Folk universities. - M., 1963.

To the 25th anniversary of the Prechistensk working courses: (Prechistensk Rabfak and Practical Institute, 1897-1922): Collection. - M., 1922.

How do people's universities. - L .; M., 1926.

Korsgard O. Fight for Enlightenment. Adult Education in Denmark: Five Century Experience / Trans. E. Ogareva, G. Klyuchareva. - 2000.

Levashova T.N., Balakireva L.A. Folk universities - one of the links in lifelong adult education // Problems of continuing adult education. - L., 1979.

Moscow City National University. AL Shanyavsky: Historical essay. - M., 1914.

Russian pedagogical encyclopedia. - M., 1999. - T. 2.

Smushkov V. Folk universities: (Review of charters and principles of organization) // Out-of-school education. - 1919. - Љ 2, 3.

Educational and thematic plans of public universities / Ed. V. Darinsky, A.D. Yurov. -L., 1971.


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