In 19th-century England, mutual improvement societies developed, through which working class men attempted to educate themselves and engage in political discussion. Many were associated with groups that did not conform to the Church of England. (SK)

Recent work in new archival sources reveals that Christian Kold did not merely implement Grundtvig's ideas about folk high schools in Denmark, but had his own philosophy. He disagreed with Grundtvig on several aspects, such as appropriate starting age and the religious basis of folk high schools. (SK)

Explores the contributions of Gorg Preca, a Maltese priest, to adult education in Malta. Highlights his commitment to democratization of knowledge, outreach to communities, and conviction that knowledge should not be the preserve of an elite. (SK)

The Inquiry, a group of U.S. adult educators and social scientists in the 1920s-1930s, applied Dewey's thinking to adult education in groups and espoused the link between individual and social development. Many of its concerns remain relevant today, and they provide an example for adult educators dealing with another era of rapid social change.…

The author presents a biography of Antonio Gramsci and discusses the influence of Karl Marx on Gramsci's key ideas concerning mode of production, superstructure, hegemony, consciousness, praxis, and intellectuals. Gramsci's emphasis on adult education for socialism is discussed. (CH)

Discusses the American view of the role of education in developing Americans. Focuses on Massachusetts, the heart of early American industrialization, which gave prime importance to publicly supported education as a vehicle of social conditioning. (JOW)

The history of adult education in Germany is examined, including the power of the Church during the Middle Ages, self-instruction in informal groups during the Renaissance, Lutheran influence during the Reformation, emphasis on reason and science during the Enlightenment period, industrialization, the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich, and post-war…

This article seeks to investigate a religious personality--Frederick Denison Maurice--with particular reference to his Principalship of the Working Men's College. The article analyzes Maurice's intellectual personality, insofar as it elucidates his contribution to education. (Author/CT)

This study of selected London newspapers between 1742 and 1765 reveals that advertised educational opportunities for adults, such as public lectures, lecture courses, and private instruction, were relatively expensive. Prior to 1760 medical and scientific topics were emphasized; an emerging interest in dancing, fencing, and music is also noted.…

Discusses the history of the National Council of Labour Colleges, the Chartist Movement, and Ruskin College. All were involved in the development of higher education for the labor force. (CH)

Sketches the historical and contemporary context of special funding for university adult and continuing education in Britain. Examines in detail developments in extramural education since 1979. Considers the impact of the Thatcher government's decision to transfer funding to the new Universities Funding Council. (SK)

Mutual improvement societies were at the forefront of adult education in New Zealand from 1870-1915. Although university extension and technical education were major contributors to adult education in Britain and Australia, they were less successful in New Zealand; thus the mutual improvement societies were predominant. (SK)

The Marquis de Condorcet proposed a progressive restructuring of French schools and colleges that has modern parallels with lifelong learning. However, his plans were thwarted by the Jacobin party, which found Rousseau's ideas more conducive to its political aims. (SK)

After independence, adult education in India was burdened with modernization and industrialization, continued to reproduce some elitist tendencies, and was overbalanced toward higher education. In the last 2 decades, radical educators have rededicated themselves to Gandhi's cause of educating the very poor and focusing on real educational needs.…

The social ideology that gave rise to the Reading University Extension College in 1892 eroded as the college became more conventional and lost touch with the working class people it was designed to reach. (SK)