Folk high schools (discontinued), 2003

The number of participants who attended a short course at folk high schools in 2003 increased by 5 per cent compared with the previous year. Compared with 2001, the increase in participants amounted to 14 per cent. The difference observed from the previous year was not evenly spread among the age groups. The number of participants below 19 decreased by 18 per cent, while the number of participants between 30-39 and 40-49 rose by 27 and 20 per cent respectively. The number of participants aged 50 or over was relatively stable, down 1 per cent from the previous year.

In total there were 1 054 fulltime equivalents who attended short courses in folk high schools during 2003, 415 men and 639 women. Participants who were 50 or above made up more than half of all fulltime equivalents.

Women in majority

61 per cent of all participants were female, and women were in majority in all age groups during 2003; 65 per cent in the age group 40-49, 62 per cent in the age group 50 or over, 60 per cent in the age group 30-39 and 57 per cent each in 20-29 and 19 and below. Women in the age group 50 years and over accounted for more than 30 per cent of all participants in short courses.

Aesthetic subjects and handicraft most popular

34 per cent of all participants chose aesthetic subjects and handicraft making these the most popular short courses at folk high schools. 30 per cent of all participants in aesthetic subjects and handicraft were women age 50 or above.

9 per cent were foreign citizens

For the participants where there is given information on citizenship, 91 per cent were Norwegian citizens, while 9 per cent had a foreign citizenship. Compared with the previous year, the number of foreign citizens in short courses at folk high schools rose by 352.

The most common participant with a foreign citizenship in short courses at folk high schools were German, Russian or Danish, numbering 355, 339 and 312 respectively.

Tables:

• Table 1 Participants by sex and age. 2003
• Table 2 Participants, by county of origin, sex and age. 2003
• Table 3 Foreign participants, by citizenship and sex. 2003
• Table 4 Participants, by subject, sex and age. 2003
• Table 5 Participants by continent of school and subjekt. 2003
• Table 6 Number of fulltime equivalents, by sex and age. 2002-2003
• Table 7 Participants, by county of school and sex. 2003
• Table 8 Fulltime equivalents, by sex and subject. 2003