Law of Folk High Schools

You will probably find as many answers to the question “what is a Folk High School?”  as the number of Folk High Schools represented in Denmark. Every school work within the frame of it's own written values.

In spite of the diversity of the Folk High Schools in Denmark they all have a common ground. They come within the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education and Law of Free Boarding School.

Non-formal Education

Even though the schools receive financial support from the state and belong under the Ministry of Education they are not part of the formal educational system in Denmark. Therefore you will not be accepted at universities, colleges or the like following courses at the Folk High Schools, as the schools are so called free boarding schools.

Law of Free Boarding Schools

The Law of Free Boarding Schools states that the schools must formulate and act on own values.
At the same time they must submit to the general educational requirement laid down by law.
This is:

• Teaching and living with life enlightenment, youth / adult education and democratic education as the principal aim
• Specific subjects and areas of interest can have a prominent position at the school – but never at the expense of the general education
• Exams and tests cannot be held at the Danish folk high schools (§1)
• The minimum age of students at the Danish folk high schools is 17½ years (§13,1)
• At the Youth High Schools the minimum age is 16.

No exams are held by the schools and no grades or marks are given.
This is seen as one of the strengths of this kind of school system.
At the Folk High Schools you study the art of being a human – they educate for life!