Arbejdernes Oplysningsforbund

Arbejdernes Oplysningsforbund (AOF) is a Danish adult education organisation rooted in the labour movement and linked to the Social Democratic Party. It was established by a decision of the Social Democratic congress in 1923, modelled on the Swedish Arbetarnas bildningsförbund (ABF), and its board first met in January 1924. AOF is part of the Nordic umbrella organisation ABF Norden, which gathers the educational associations of the Nordic labour movement. AOF operates a nationwide network of evening schools, day schools and language centres. According to its own website, it runs more than 9,000 courses a year and helps more than 5,000 people with dyslexia annually, drawing on 100 years of teaching experience. Its course catalogue spans subjects such as food and wine, music, song and drama, lectures and debate, outdoor life, health and lifestyle, and languages including Spanish, German, English, French, Italian and Japanese. It also offers preparatory adult education (FVU) in Danish, English, IT and mathematics, Danish language courses for immigrants, dyslexia teaching (OBU), and tailored programmes for companies and professional organisations through AOF Erhverv. Historically, AOF was the first organisation of its kind in Denmark. It grew rapidly in the 1920s and 1930s, establishing around 100 local education committees and attracting roughly 170,000 participants annually. It ran folk high schools, summer courses, study circles and lectures, and in 1930 set up AOF's Filmcentral, which imported and produced documentary films for the labour movement. Other initiatives included a correspondence school (1935), Arbejdernes Kunstforening (1936), AOF's publishing house (1959) and AOF Erhverv (1986). Today AOF remains an active provider of adult education and popular enlightenment in Denmark, with a broad portfolio ranging from leisure courses to labour-market training. Its chair has been Ole Wehlast since 2011.

The decision to establish Arbejdernes Oplysningsforbund (AOF) was taken at the congress of the Danish Social Democratic Party (then Socialdemokratiet) in 1923, with the aim of promoting the education of those considered to belong to the working class. The Swedish Arbetarnas bildningsförbund (ABF), founded in 1912, served as a model. The financial and organisational base of the association came from the leading actors of the Danish labour movement: De Samvirkende Fagforbund (now LO), Det Kooperative Fællesforbund and Danmarks Socialdemokratiske Ungdom (DSU). Following a decision at the Social Democratic main board meeting in 1922, these organisations formed the committee that would establish and organise the new association. In January 1924, AOF's board met for the first time, and the Social Democrat C. V. Bramsnæs was appointed chairman. At its founding, it was the first organisation of its kind in Denmark. The association had a stated goal of offering education and enlightenment based on the working class through a multifaceted field of work. In addition to lectures, study circles and summer courses, it also ran a number of folk high schools and so-called day schools for the unemployed. Within a few years, AOF achieved great success with hundreds of events annually and a participant count of approximately 170,000. Around 100 local education committees were established across Denmark within a few years of AOF's creation. As early as 1925, AOF was included in financial legislation and was granted an annual subsidy of 10,000 Danish kroner. The association's courses were usually held at the so-called workers' high schools and often took their starting point from Det Kooperative Fællesforbund and the trade unions. During the 1920s and 1930s, AOF grew and several already established folk high schools became part of the association, including Esbjerg Højskole and Roskilde Højskole, which passed into the ownership of a fund in 1950. In 1930, AOF's Filmcentral was established, importing documentary films from Germany and Austria that were considered valuable to the labour movement. The film centre also produced films used for propaganda purposes. In addition, AOF was one of the organisations that established Nordens Folkhögskola in Geneva in 1931. The association also expanded with a correspondence school in 1935, the founding of Arbejdernes Kunstforening in 1936, and the start of several evening schools. Together with Foreningen for Folkehøjskoler, AOF founded Dansk Folkeoplysnings Samråd in 1941. This organisation was tasked with gathering the Danish popular enlightenment movement and forming a national and democratic forum during Nazi Germany's occupation of Denmark. In 1959, AOF's Forlag (publishing house) was established to handle the publication of books and teaching materials for the extensive course and lecture activities that had grown within AOF. The publishing house also publishes teaching materials for the internal training programmes of the Danish trade union movement. In 1961, the association's local units were required to pay a membership fee to AOF's national association. At the turn of the decade 1969/1970, courses within AOF and other associations went from being free to requiring course participants to pay part of the course costs themselves. This was a result of changes made to Danish leisure-time legislation. During the same period, AOF's correspondence school was closed, as was one of the association's cinemas, World Cinema. In the 1970s, however, Arbejderbevægelsens Skolekontaktudvalg and the FIU programmes (Fagbevægelsens Interne Uddannelser) were established. The latter offers training for elected representatives and union activists within the Danish trade union movement. In the 1980s, AOF's Filmcentral was closed, AOF Erhverv was established in 1986, and Arbejderbevægelsens Skolekontaktudvalg was handed over to LO in 1989. Today AOF operates approximately 130 evening schools, day schools and language centres. Its current chairman is Ole Wehlast. The association is part of the Nordic umbrella organisation ABF Norden, which gathers the various educational associations of the Nordic labour movement.

• 2011

  Ole Wehlast becomes chairman.

• 1989

  Arbejderbevægelsens Skolekontaktudvalg handed over to LO.

• 1986

  AOF Erhverv established.

• 1970

  Arbejderbevægelsens Skolekontaktudvalg and FIU programmes established.

• 1969

  Courses shift from free to requiring participant co-payment; correspondence school and World Cinema closed.

• 1961

  Local units required to pay membership fee to AOF's national association.

• 1959

  AOF's Forlag (publishing house) established.

• 1941

  AOF co-founds Dansk Folkeoplysnings Samråd.

• 1936

  Arbejdernes Kunstforening founded.

• 1935

  AOF correspondence school established.

• 1931

  AOF co-founds Nordens Folkhögskola in Geneva.

• 1930

  AOF's Filmcentral established.

• 1925

  AOF included in financial legislation and granted an annual subsidy of 10,000 Danish kroner.

• 1924

  AOF board meets for the first time; C. V. Bramsnæs appointed chairman.

• 1923

  Decision to establish AOF taken at the Social Democratic Party congress.

Adult education and popular enlightenment rooted in the Danish labour movement, offering a broad range of leisure, language and vocational courses nationwide.

• AOF aftenskole

  Evening school courses in a wide range of subjects.

• Forberedende Voksenundervisning (FVU)

  Free courses for adults to strengthen skills in Danish, English, IT or mathematics.

• Danskuddannelse

  Danish language courses for immigrants through AOF Job & Dansk.

• Ordblindeundervisning (OBU)

  Teaching programme for dyslexic adults with guidance and support from experienced teachers.

• AOF Erhverv

  Tailored training and development programmes for companies and professional organisations.

1. 1AOF - Vi tilbyder foredrag, kurser og aktiviteter til digaof.dk
2. 2Arbejdernes Oplysningsforbund - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Arbejdernes Oplysningsforbund - Wikipedia (Swedish)sv.wikipedia.org