Co-operation and education: Historical perspectives

Abstract

The history of the British consumer co-operative movement reveals strong affinities between co-operation and education. Following the historical chronology of the movement helps to illuminate diverse meanings and practices of co-operative education. From the early nineteenth century, through long periods of growth and subsequent decline, many educational initiatives and experiments, both informal and formal, have been visible. While each of these were products of particular times, there were many interconnections between them and they continue to be of interest to co-operative educators.