Sällskapet för folkundervisningens befrämjande (in loose translation, "The Society for the Promotion of Public Education" has been active for a full 200 years. In a new anthology, both the association's history and current activities are described. Six researchers describe the development and challenges within the educational field as a whole.

The association was founded in 1822 and was originally called the Sällskapet för växel­under­visningens befrämjande (loosely translated as "Society for the Promotion of Exchange Teaching") where "exchange education" referred to the form of teaching where older school pupils under the guidance of a teacher taught their younger peers. The idea was to make it possible to teach a large number of students at the same time, which was seen as a way to remedy the lack of general schooling at the time.

In 1866, the name was changed to Sällskapet för folk­undervisningens befrämjande (SFUB; loosely translated as "the Society for the Promotion of Public Education"), with the purpose of promoting a general and effective public education. Today, the association is primarily active by awarding scholarships for continuing education to teachers, school leaders and other educational staff.

When SFUB marks two centuries for the benefit of public education, it does so by also looking outside its own history. In the anthology that we publish at Business History Publishing, six researchers have been asked to give their views on five different areas connected to education and pedagogy. The result: a book both about history, and about looking ahead and how to continue to promote learning.