Adult education in Turkey (formal education) covers all types of learning activities that join to develop the skills and competencies in the formal education system in any stage or that stage separated from or graduates of the individuals within the scope of lifelong learning concept, information about the social and employment (Regulation on Lifelong Learning Institutions / 2018).

Institutions operating under the General Directorate of Lifelong Learning related to adult education accepted as part of Lifelong Learning are as follows:

a) Public education centers,

b) Maturation institutions,

c) Open education schools

and in these institutions are as follows:

a) Course and extracurricular activities,

b) Document, equivalence, and recognition of prior learning,

c) Vocational training activities in enterprises,

d) Research, development and archiving processes, 

d) National and international promotion activities,

e) Design, production and marketing activities,

f) Professional and technical training activities in the training of the qualified workforce,

g) All kinds of competitions, fairs, exhibitions, symposiums, panels, projects, cooperation documents, artistic, social, cultural and similar activities, organization, participation, representation and publication activities,

h) Open education schools education services,

i) Distance learning activities, (Regulation on Lifelong Learning Institutions / 2018).

In addition, all kinds of education and training activities other than the in-service training activities to be performed by other public institutions or private organizations are carried out in cooperation with the MoNE affiliated institutions in accordance with the provisions of the Circular No. 2007/17 of the Prime Ministry.

In addition, vocational and technical secondary schools affiliated to the General Directorate of Vocational and Technical Education and vocational training centers, except for the secondary education program in the fields and branches specified in the Vocational Education Law No. 3308, are issued for adults (Vocational Education Law no. 3308).

İŞKUR General Directorate affiliated to the Ministry of Employment, Social Affairs, and Family prepares national occupational standards and national qualifications, Turkey's National Agency for Erasmus + and provides funding to adult education and projects related to vocational training under the program to maintain their Active Labor Programs. (The Ministry of Family Affairs and Social Services, Annual Reports).

The Ministry of Family Affairs and Social Services carries out its activities related to family education.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry carries out its training activities in the field of duty in cooperation with the Ministry of National Education and other relevant institutions and organizations.

Special teaching activities in private institutions are also carried out with the approval of the General Directorate of Private Education Institutions (5580 numbered Law on Private Education Institutions).

The duty of monitoring and guiding these institutions is given to the Ministry of National Education by its Constitution.

National Occupational Standards published courses programs approved by the BOE Education Programs in accordance with national and international vocational training standards in the Official Gazette and the activities are carried out within the scope of adult education in Turkey (GDoLLL 2019 Monitoring Report).

The institutions affiliated to the General Directorate of Lifelong Learning carry out their activities within the framework of the following principles (Regulation on Lifelong Learning Institutions / 2018):

a) Lifelong learning

b) Scientificity and integrity

c) Validity

d) Volunteerism

e) Publicity

f) Training everywhere

g) Eligibility

h) Cooperation and coordination

i) Planning

j) Continuity

k) Innovation and openness to development

Data relating to adult education in Turkey are calculated by taking into account the 25-64 age range by Turkey Statistics Institution according to the Eurostat criteria. Adult education participation rate calculated by TURKSTAT according to 2019 microdata was 5.8. (LLL 2019 Monitoring Report).