Adult Education Act

Adopted 2018 it determined:

• Public interest in adult education
• Schemes for pursuing a public interest in the field of adult education programmes and activities
• Public service and it included the basic school programme for adults and counselling
• Programmes and activities which do not lead to officially recognised educational qualification, not a vocational or additional qualification, except in the basic school programme for adults.

The public interest in adult education is based on the following principles:

• Lifelong education and learning
• Equity and equal opportunities for access, consideration and results of learning and training
• Freedom and autonomy in choosing the path, content, form, resources and methods of education
• Quality of education
• Proportional distribution of resources for education and learning as to the needs of individual life cycles
• Systemic link between formal and non-formal education and informal learning
• Balancing between general and vocational education
• Creativity and agility while considering the specific cultural, social and educational characteristics
• Achieving the national and international comparable educational standards
• Laity of adult education provided as public service.

Aims of the public interest in adult education:

• Giving access to quality of educational and learning opportunities
• Opening pathways to gaining general and vocational abilities for personal growth, active participation in the community and on the labour market
• Empowering democratic participation in social processes and socially responsible behaviour
• Improving abilities for tolerance, respect of diversity and interaction with others, respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms
• Strengthening the critical thinking of individuals and various social groups
• Improving solidarity, cooperation and exchange of knowledge and experience among generations
• Encouraging citizens for mutual operations and greater prosperity of the society
• Decreasing structural and individual barriers to the inclusion of citizens in education and learning
• Promoting individuals with low educational qualifications and other vulnerable groups for education and learning
• Decreasing the share of citizens without basic or vocational education
• Increasing the share of citizens with a four-year upper secondary educational qualification.

In addition to the Adult Education Act, this area is regulated by other laws in education (on basic, upper secondary technical and vocational education, upper secondary general education (gimnazija), and short-cycle higher vocational education), laws on labour and family, and national vocational qualifications law.

National programme of adult education

The public interest in adult education is determined by the relevant national programme, usually for 10 years. It is an instrument of systemic shaping in adult education which aims to deliver the vision of all adult citizens in Slovenia in all lifecycles having the same opportunities and incentives for quality learning and education for their overall development and sustainable living. It includes education, continuing education, training, and learning of adults who fulfilled the basic education obligation. For awarding officially recognised educational qualifications, it made key emphasises on programmes of basic, vocational, upper secondary technical, general and short-cycle higher vocational education.

Annual programme of adult education

The pursuit of the national programme is determined by the annual adult education programme. It delivered by competent ministries through public calls and invitations.

Background

• National and international background documents or recommendations
• Socio-economic situation and impact on the development of adult education (demographic and technological development, labour market needs, etc.)
• Educational structure and activity of citizens
• Reaching the goals and indicators of the previous relevant resolution on the national programme from 2013 to 2020
• Results of international research on adult skills (PIAAC).
• Aims of the national programme:
• Increasing the inclusion of adults in lifelong learning
• Raising the level of basic skills and improving general education of adults
• Raising the educational level of adults
• Improving the skills of citizens for better responding to the labour market needs
• Building up the development and research in adult education
• Improving and facilitating activities in adult education.

Target groups

• Adults with low basic skills irrespective of employment situation, age and/or other characteristics
• Adults who need to improve general education for personal needs and respond to the challenges of community
• Adults who need to continue vocational or professional education and training in line with the labour market needs
• Younger adults who leave early education and training, and dropouts
• Adults over 65 years of age, and
• Adults with limited access to social, cultural, economic and educational goods.

Leading indicators

• A jump in the participation rate of citizens of 25–64 in lifelong learning to 19% in 2030 from 8.4% in 2020
• A jump in the participation rate of citizens of 25–64 in lifelong learning to 66% in 2030 from 46% in 2016
• A jump in the participation rate of citizens of 25–64 in lifelong learning to 60% in 2030 from the calculated value of 40.3% in 2016.

Priority areas

1. General non-formal adult education
2. Education leading to educational qualification
3. Continuing and supplementary education and training to meet the labour market needs
4. Research and development, and
5. Activities in the field of adult education.

Indicators by priority areas

1 General non-formal adult education

• A jump in the participation rate of adults in officially recognised programmes for adults which do not lead to officially recognised educational qualification to at least 70% over 2019.
• Drop in the share of adults 24­–65 attaining the lowest outcomes in reading and mathematical literacy from 31% (PIAAC 2016) to less than 20%.
• Jump in the participation rate of adults 55–64 in any form of organised education from 27% (AIO 2016) to 35% (AIO 2028).
• Jump in the participation rate of adults 65–74 in lifelong learning from 4.0% (ANP4t 2019) to 5.5% (ANP4t 2030).
• Jump in the participation of low-qualified adults 25–64 in lifelong learning during the previous 12 months to at least 30% by 2030.
• Jump in the share of adults 16–74 having at least basic digital skills to 70% by 2030.

2 Education leading to educational qualification

• Increase in the participation rate of adults 45–55 in the basic school programme for adults by 2% annually compared to the previous year from 2020 to 2030.
• Jump in the participation rate of adults 25–64 with at least four-year upper secondary technical educational qualifications from 62.8% in 2019 to 68% by 2030.

3 Continuing and supplementary education and training to meet the labour market needs

• Participation rate of at least 50% of all in the active employment policy programme (unemployed or employed) in programmes of education and training by 2030.
• Jump in the share of national vocational qualifications awarded within the active employment policy programme to at least 40% by 2030 compared to 2020.

4 Research and development

• Undertaking at least three target research programs for the needs of adult education
• Undertaking six development projects at the national level for transferring theoretical and research findings in adult education.

Activities in the field of adult education

• Jump in the share of adults receiving counselling provided as a public service to at least 20% by 2030 compared to 2020.