From the very beginning, life enlightenment has been at the core of the endeavor of Danish folk high schools: that is, to shed light on the life we live both as individuals and as communities. It is an enlightenment of the human existence, of a life lived together and of the connection between life and the world.
Such an enlightenment is not connected to an explanation of the meaning of life or to pointing out how each and every one should live their life. Rather, it is a common exploration of the fundamental aspects of life.
However, how does this idea fly with today’s notion of education as a pathway to specialized competences? What is the purpose of life enlightenment today? Can life enlightenment at all be taught? How should we organize the school in light of life enlightenment? How can it be translated into a pedagogical practice?
During the workshop, we shall explore the idea of life enlightenment and how it relates to the folk high schools’ educational endeavor and practice. The starting point of the workshop will be an introduction to how life enlightenment can be understood and carried out from a Danish perspective. Furthermore, mr. Kachi Ozumba will be sharing his thoughts and experiences of building a school based on life enlightenment in Nigeria.
These presentations will form a framework for discussions and sharing of experiences in smaller peer-groups. Finally, we shall try together to develop the idea of ‘life enlightenment’ as an aspect of our educational practices.