Folk High Schools in Bangladesh.

This book describes the genesis and aims of 5 folk high schools established in Bangladesh during the last 20 years, the first schools of this kind founded in a Muslim society. Section 1 sketches in the essential background and context of the high school initiatives. It covers geographical facts and, particularly, the significance of historical roots for development of the area's cultural distinctiveness; outlines phases and events from the country's recent history deemed important in the present context; and draws attention to schooling and education tasks and problems. Section 2 describes the Gonobidyalaya project. It sketches the administrative framework; brings out important events pertaining to project origins; details project aims; describes the individual folk high schools; and presents three other similar institutions that differ in some ways. Section 3 identifies some overriding characteristics in the high school project development; reflects on the relation of the Gonobidyalaya initiatives to the Danish high school tradition and Nicolai Grundtvig's ideas on education; and discusses the contribution to Grundtvig's interpretation. Section 4 considers the future and reflects on special conditions in Bangladesh that necessitate efforts within adult education; discusses the question of the central objective of education; and reviews human resources available for such an initiative. Abbreviations and an 88-item bibliography are appended. (YLB)