Kvinnofolkhögskolan is a feminist education centre for adult women, located in Gothenburg. It started in 1985 after many years of discussion and preparation by women active in the women's movement. It is one of around 150 folk high schools in Sweden. Folk high schools have a long background in Scandinavia and most of them have their roots in the popular movements. A characteristic feature of the Swedish folk high schools is, among other things, their freedom to develop the content and direction of their own courses. Kvinnofolkhögskolan is unique in its structure and contents.

Why a women's study centre

In spite of all reforms for womenIn spite of formal equality between men and womenIn spite of joint teaching and education
we have a society that is marked by male dominance, a sex segregated labour market, unequal wages and salaries, and female responsibility for housework.

The borders between the sexes divide our solidarity and create inequality. We as women have a great responsibility for changing all this. To fulfil this we must obtain knowledge and education.

This school was started for and by ourselves and as such it is a victory for the women's movement in Sweden!

Background

Folk high schools in Sweden
The first folk high schools in Sweden were established in 1868 and today there are 148 schools in the country. Despite being separate, folk high schools are now a popular, important and established part of the Swedish education system. 105 of the schools are run by various popular movements, organisations and associations (NGOs), whilst the remaining 43 are run by county councils or regions.

A characteristic feature of Swedish folk high schools is, among other things, their freedom to develop the content and direction of their own courses. This means that they diverge from ordinary schools in many ways. There is no centrally established, standard curriculum for the Folk High Schools, each school makes its own decisions regarding teaching plans within the limits set by a special ordinance.

Folk High Schools offer a unique opportunity to enhance each individual's human resources. The students´ experiences of working life and society are put to use, and their contribution is very vital. The schools constitute small, educational societies where each individual makes a difference. Studying in a warm and open environment, working closely with other students and staff stimulates personal growth and development. The traditional freedom of the Folk High School has led to ample experimentation and educational innovation. Problem orientated and thematic studies for longer or shorter periods are quite common.

Second wave feminism
The popular movement behind Kvinnofolkhögskolan is the Women's movement. It was individuals with roots in different organisations who took the first initiative. When the second wave of the Women's movement emerged in Sweden in the 1970's there was a strong belief in education and in consciousness raising.

Women's house in Göteborg
In 1978 women belonging to the second wave of feminism in Göteborg started the first Swedish women's house. Kvinnohuset (The Women's House) was an umbrella organisation for groups such as Women's Centre (Kvinnocentrum), Group 8, Lesbian Front, The Feminists and SKV (Swedish women's left organisation). After having searched intensively some women found a closed down pharmacy belonging to the municipality and succeeded in persuading the local authorities to have it opened as a house where women could meet for different activities. Many groups were established, one working as women's aid, another with film, a third one starting study circles on different subjects, etc. The idea was not to divide but unite women with different interests, needs and backgrounds.

The Fogelstad school as a model
For many women within the Women's movement the private school in Fogelstad that existed from 1920 to 1956 served as a model. Fogelstad was a private enterprise, was never a folk high school, had no economic support from the government and had as its main goal to give civic education to women. Many new pedagogical methods were tried out and many famous artists, authors and politicians were engaged in the activities. Some of the women active in the discussions on a folk high school for women had been students at Fogelstad.

A Nordic project
One group that met at the women's house started evening courses in subjects such as women over 40, music, literature, photography, sexuality etc. Some of these women were teachers and took part in the lively discussion on school and education that was typical for the 70's. Now they wanted to try new forms of teaching and learning. A discussion about schools for women only had started. Women's groups in Denmark and Norway with the same ideas were contacted and meetings were held at the famous women's camp at Femø in Denmark. The Danish women were the first in 1979 to start a folk high school (in Danish "højskole") on the border to Germany. The group in Sweden decided to start full time courses as a branch of one of the folk high schools in Gothenburg (Göteborgs folkhögskola) where some of them were working.

The first courses at the Women's house
The first course started in 1979 as a theoretical-practical course with 20 participants, all unemployed and half of them immigrants. Connected to the course was a crèche for the participants' children. To support the students with training grants, to pay for the crèche and buy all the material and other things that the school couldn't pay, many contacts were taken. Applications were written and meetings held with politicians and local authorities, jobcentres, the county labour board, nursery school authorities, the Labour Inspectorate, the public health committee, the highways department, safety representatives etc. When it all at last could start it was with a 20 weeks full time theoretical-practical course. The theory was on women's history, Swedish, social science, geography etc., and the practice was to rebuild and repair the women's house. The idea was to inspire women to educate themselves in technical and practical jobs dominated by men and better paid. Some of the women continued education in practical areas, but most didn't. The effect of working with typical male jobs was to give the women a feeling of challenging themselves.

Working on becoming an independent school
The six courses that followed were built on the same idea as the first one but became longer and had more participants. In 1983 a new course started, this time for immigrant women only and the subject was Swedish for immigrants. In 1984 and 1985 two continuation courses to the technical/practical course were given where mostly technical subjects were studied.

Meanwhile the group continued to work for an independent school. In 1983 a foundation was established by individual women, and again lots of applications were written, discussions and meetings were held, furniture collected and a house looked for. Once a month open seminars were held where the school was discussed.

Aims and objects of the school
The aim of Kvinnofolkhögskolan is both educational and to give liberal education ("Bildung"). Education is given in different subjects. The main task in liberal education is to enhance women's participation in society and to widen women's collective space of action.

The first years
In July 1985 the school was at last registered as folk high school number 147 in Sweden. This meant it would get financial support from the state. It could start four long courses for a total of 77 participants in August in premises close to the city centre. Many short courses in weekends and a couple of summer courses were also held in the initial years. During the first five years the population of the school was doubled, the staff grew and bigger premises were needed.

The school today
In 2004 the school moved in to new premises. The main activities at the school are still the long courses, which last 16-34 weeks, and short courses covering a weekend or one to a couple of weeks. Beside these courses lectures, meetings, seminars and study circles are held throughout the year, arranged by the school or by many different women's groups. Cooperation with different organisations has grown considerably, and the school also offers gender education to companies and institutions.

Long courses, about ten every year, are attended daily by up to 200 students. These women, from 18-70 years old and coming from more than 40 different countries (e.g. Iran, Russia, Iraq, Bosnia, Chile, Finland, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Greece) have different cultural backgrounds and experiences and different aims with their studies. Some have short schoolings others long university education. Some continue their education at the university, others take vocational training or go back to their former jobs.

The different courses have their own curriculum. Problem orientated and thematic studies for longer or shorter periods are quite common. The overall object is to give general civic education.

Lessons start at nine a.m. every day and end at about four p.m. It is not a boarding school. Most students have a family and a house to look after, and the curriculum is planned taking this into account. All students meet at meals, breaks, school meetings and at some subjects studied jointly.

Almost every lunch is cooked and served by the students. This is done in turns, every group having one or two weeks a term in the kitchen, lead by a teacher and when nutrition also is learnt. Cleaning of the school is taken care of by the students and teachers together. Household repairs are taught during practical weeks.

How the school is organised
From the beginning the ambition has been to find a structure close to the ideas within the women's movement, i.e. non-hierarchical and flat. The most important decisions have for example always been taken in the staff meetings. Another ambition was to rotate the work as principle among all the staff. Around the principle worked during the first years another two women, forming an executive leading group. This system of rotation ceased to function effectively after some years and the leading group has since then ben formed in different ways. The staff is still the most import decision making group even though the school board takes the final decisions. Students have regular meetings on issues directly connected to them, in the school council and the course council.

Long-term courses - some examples

General courses (around 35 weeks)
This course can be attended for one, two or three years. Most students stay for two years. The contents of the course are taken from a big variety of disciplines, including social, behavioural and natural science. A student who has completed two or three years is, in principle, qualified for university studies without any further examinations.

General courses at the folk high schools have been ascribed a specific rate of qualification by the state, without a centrally established curriculum being required on that account. On certain conditions courses at folk high schools may be equated, for example, with the upper level of the comprehensive school or with the upper secondary school, which means that these latter courses may qualify for higher education at university.

Feminist studies (35 weeks)
This is a course is intended for women who want to know more about feminism and who want to learn different means for change. Conceptions on how gender and other structures of power are constructed are studied, locally and globally, as well as how women work for change. After the course the students can work with gender equality, as gender activists or organizors. Working with videos, pictures and texts for website publishing is part of the education.

Courses for immigrant women (35 weeks)
Different courses on different levels. At these courses the Swedish language is studied and practised. Subjects as civics, women's history and role in different cultures, health and instruction in goods and consumption are included.

FemiNa (18 weeks)
Natural science with a gender perspective is a one-term course for women who need a preparation for further studies in natural science at the university. Maths, biology, ecology etc are studied and discussed from a feminist perspective.

Beside these courses the school has a travelling course every third year, distance courses on gender and feminism and is engaged in different EU projects.

Branches
The school has had many courses arranged as part of joint projects in different parts of Gothenburg and in the county of Bohuslän. Over the last few years the five folk high schools in Gothenburg have worked on a joint project to start a study centre in Bergsjön, a suburb in northeast Gothenburg, and in September 2006 this centre was opened. Kvinnofolkhögskolan has this year three courses for immigrant women at this study centre.

Finances
Being a folk high school Kvinnofolkhögskolan gets support from the state, the county council and the city council of Gothenburg. To survive the school also has to sell courses on the open market. Most courses arranged this way have been for immigrant women. Very few donations have been given to the school.

Tuition free of charge
All tuition is free of charge. Students pay around 800 SEK a term for material. Swedish students and non-Swedish nationals who have been living in Sweden for some years can apply for a grant from the government to cover part of the living costs.

Criteria for admission
The minimum age for admission is 18. There is no upper limit. Every student is interviewed about her aims and background before being admitted.

Rules for visiting students
To be able to study at Kvinnofolkhögskolan good knowledge in Swedish is needed as all course are given in this language. If you intend to study in Sweden, you will need a residence permit. Permits are issued by the Swedish Immigration Board, and must be granted before you come to Sweden. If you are a citizen of the EU/EEA member states you may apply for a residence permit in Sweden. The nearest Swedish embassy or consulate can give you further information. In order to apply for a residence permit for studies at Kvinnofolkhögskolan you must have been accepted to a program of studies.

Staff
All employees at the school are women. Today 40 women are working as teachers or administrators, one third of which part time. All teachers have special education on gender issues and many teachers have a very long experience from pedagogical work and a long academic education.

Kvinnofolkhögskolans montessori preschool

Kvinnofolkhögskolan's Montessori preschool is staffed by 3 preschool teachers who work using Maria Montessori's method of pedagogy, which is a child centred learning in a specially prepared environment.

In an atmosphere of freedom the children can play/work under supervision with tangible materials, independently or together with their companions. We want already at this preschool stage to stimulate lifelong learning with a comprehensive perspective, where everything is connected and everyone is equal in worth.

Since Autumn 2003 we have worked consciously to challenge traditional gender patterns and gender roles. We want to give girls and boys in the preschool the same possibilities to try out and to develop aptitudes and interests out with the boundaries of stereotyped gender roles.

In this work we use different methods. Through an study andanalysis of our operation we have discovered deficiencies in gender equality. Using the information from these observations we have formulated a number of aims and concrete measures to improve gender equality.

We use a compensatory pedagogy which involves encouraging the child to choose to occupy themselves and to play with things that they would not usually have chosen. We do not want to take away anything from the child but rather aim to add on something that is missing.

Our daily operations are conducted with a gender perspective together with the children and parents/guardians involves that we as teachers constantly reflect over and review our thoughts and actions in different situations.

We who work with gender perspective pedagogy understand that this is a work which is integral in the whole operation and must be a constantly ongoing process."

The first paragraph in the foundation's statutes

An independent women's study centre gives us the responsibility

to continuously plan courses that are governed by women's different needs and wishes and not by political expediency,

to test and develop ideas and experiences from the women's movement,

to look at women's life experiences through women's perspectives

to expose and counteract all forms of hierarchy and oppression

to start courses where the participants have a right to financial security during the length of the course, for example study grants.

At last a meeting place where women can test their visions, their differences and where the imagination and creativity can flow...