Reinventing Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy in Finnish Non-Formal Education: the Case of ‘Life Skills for All’ Model

The article contributes to the academic discussion on Paulo Freire’s pedagogical thinking as a basis for reinventing contemporary non-formal
education. In Finland, Freire’s transformational/liberatory theory of adult
learning was applied as a framework for developing an adult educational
model called Life Skills for All. The pilot project’s case studies were carried
out with different groups of people during the model’s development
phase. We describe these cases and discuss what can be learned from
them for offering basic and life skills education for adult groups at risk
of social disenfranchisement. Our case study analysis highlights some
new practices and challenges based on the model’s different applications.
We argue that even for basic capacity building of employment skills, it
is essential to develop a non-instrumental, holistic, and societal educational approach. Elements for such an approach can be derived from
both the Nordic and Freirean traditions of adult education. Also, we
suggest that the Life Skills for All model benefits learners’ agency and
empowerment by putting the learner at the center, combining the learning of different basic skills, and emphasizing the central role of the local
community in participants’ learning activities.