Social innovation handler om at udvikle innovative svar på samfundsmæssige behov, som ikke i tilstrækkeligt omfang dækkes af eksisterende former for privat eller offentlig service. Der er oftest tale om svar, som udvikles af ikke-kommercielle organisationer og aktører gennem kreative processer med et væsentligt element af initiativ ”nedefra”. Uddannelse er et af de områder, hvor social innovation både historisk og aktuelt har haft betydning. Historisk er der gennem sociale innovationsprocesser blevet udkrystalliseret former for uddannelse, som har imødekommet væsentlige behov for oplysning og kompetence, og som på nogle områder har opnået lang levetid. Fremkomsten og udbredelsen af folkehøjskoler er et centralt eksempel. Ligesom anden innovation sker social innovation inden for rammerne af et kompleks af strukturer og institutioner, som kan kaldes et nationalt innovationssystem. Artiklen handler om uddannelse som – og i tilknytning til – social innovation. Som forudsætning for dette behandles også generelt karakteren af social innovation og de samfundsmæssige rammer for den. I forhold til uddannelsesfeltet fokuseres på, hvordan social innovation har præget historiske og aktuelle udviklinger. Det illustreres især gennem analyse af en case om etablering af talentundervisning i et kommunalt skolevæsen.
ENGELSK ABSTRACT:
Palle Rasmussen: Education and Social Innovation
Social innovation is about developing original responses to societal needs that are not sufficiently met by existing types of private or public service. Innovative responses are often developed by non-commercial organizations and actors through creative processes with a strong element of initiative ”from below”. Social innovation, as well as business innovation, occurs in a complex framework of structures and institutions that may be called a national system of innovation. Education is a field in which social innovation has had a significant impact, historically as well as in the present. The history of education demonstrates how processes of social innovation have led to the emergence of new forms of education that have met changing social needs for knowledge and competence, and some of these innovations have been more or less permanent. The establishment and growth of the Danish ”folk high schools” is an important example. The article discusses education in connection with social innovation. As a basis for this, the general nature and societal context of social innovation is also discussed. This is illustrated by a case study of establishing special education for talented students in a municipal school system.
Key words: Social innovation, innovation system, education, school system, social needs.
The Quebec system of social innovation: a focused analysis on the local development field