Denmark

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Background...
Despite its famous history of adult education and the role model function it has fulfilled for many other countries in building up adult learning opportunities, it was only this year that Denmark joined the family of festivals-organizing countries. For the first time, a Danish Adult Learners' Week tooke place on 8 - 14 September 2001. For Denmark, the 8th of September has, apart from being International Literacy Day, another special meaning: it is the anniversary of the legendary founder of their adult learning movement, Nikolai Grundtvig (1783).

The aim of the week was to draw attention on the possibilities for adults to learn throughout life. While the Danish evening schools ("folk high schools") already organized a number of promotional events during the past two years, the entire educational system was part of the activities for the first time this year.

Central coordination for the week rested with the Danish Research and Development Centre for Adult Education, although the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labour took part in the week. On the whole, the activities were based on local initiative – however, two nationwide events were arranged: whereas the first one will gave the opportunity to the Ministers both of Education and of Labour to introduce the adult and continuing education reform, the second one granted the space to the non-formal sector (evening schools) to illustrate the range of possibilities for adults learn in their leisure time.