About
Mariannelunds folkhögskola – description and background
What is Mariannelunds folkhögskola?
Mariannelunds folkhögskola is owned and run by the Swedish Pentecostal Movement. The school was started in 1972 and has around 90 students each semester. It is a boarding school, located in the south of Sweden approximately 350 km from Stockholm, the nation’s capital.
Mariannelunds folkhögskola offers a number of profiled Bible Courses, courses focusing on Missions and Christian Social Action and various General courses. All courses are offered in Swedish, except the international missions and culture oriented course InterConnect, where the working language is English.
Due to the very clear Evangelical profile of the school, Mariannelunds folkhögskola is often referred to as a “Bible School”. Although there is much truth in that, it is important to note that the school is a “Folk High School”, with all that this implies (see below).
Mariannelunds folkhögskola is a part of the Swedish National Pentecostal School Network, consisting of four mother schools with a number of branches spread over the country.
For further information about the Swedish Pentecostal Folk High Schools, go to the common website of the Pentecostal Schools (only in Swedish), http://www.pingstskolorna.nu.
What is "folkhögskola"?
The history of “folkhögskola” (“Folk High School”) in Sweden stretches back to the turn of the last century: the first Folk High Schools in Sweden were established in 1868. Today there are 148 Folk High Schools in the country and they are a popular, important and established part of the Swedish education system. 99 of the schools are run by various popular movements, organisations and associations (NGO’s). The remaining 48 are run by county or regional councils.
Each school is free to develop the content and direction of its 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 with 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.
The overall object of the Swedish Folk High School is to give general civic education. Each year about 30 000 students take part in the long courses. The Folk High Schools receive financial support from the state. A certain interest has been directed towards groups with special educational needs, e.g. people with short basic education, people with various disabilities, immigrants and the unemployed. The minimum age for admission to the general courses is 18 years. There is no upper age limit.
How can I contact the school?
The address to the school is
Mariannelunds folkhögskola
Box 130
SE-570 30 Mariannelund
SWEDEN
Tel +46-496-215 50
Fax +46-496-212 25
E-mail: info@mariannelund.nu