Adult education from the pedagogical and sociological points of view and life-long education

Izobraževanje je v današnji učeči se družbi 21. stoletja pomemben del posameznikovega življenja, ki pa se ne konča s formalno pridobljeno izobrazbo v mladosti, ampak se glede na interese posameznika oziroma potreb družbe vse življenje nadgrajuje ali dopolnjuje na raznih področjih. Govorimo o vseživljenjskem učenju, ki v današnjem času gospodarske krize postaja svetovno gibanje pod geslom »učenje za vse« v vseh obdobjih življenja in v vsej širini. V današnji sodobni globalno–informacijski družbi, ki od nas zahteva nenehno učenje, prilagajanje, razvoj in napredek, smo z znanjem bolj konkurenčni za ohranitev obstoječih in za ustvarjanje novih delovnih mest. Samo zvišanje stopnje izobrazbe in sodelovanje v odprtih možnostih okolja razvijeta ljudje do te mere, da postanejo samozadostni. Sloj funkcionalno nepismenega prebivalstva ne bo sposoben sam preživeti v novih razmerah dela informacijske družbe, družbi sprememb in družbi tveganja. Trdno jedro brezposelnosti bodo predstavljali ljudje z najnižjo izobrazbo, z dokončano osnovno šolo ali brez le-te. Tako zaradi potreb sodobne globalizirane družbe, ki zahteva vedno nova znanja, kot zaradi interesov posameznika, je zelo pomembno, da v lokalnih okoljih delujejo ustrezne ustanove, ki nudijo kvalitetne programe in možnosti za formalno in neformalno izobraževanje odraslih. Take ustanove so v Sloveniji ljudske univerze, javni zavodi za izobraževanje odraslih, katerih temeljno poslanstvo je izobraževanje odraslih za osebnostni razvoj, pridobitev formalne izobrazbe in vključevanje odraslih v družbo. Izobraževanje odraslih zahteva specifične pedagoške pristope in ima v posameznih socialnih okoljih glede demografskih značilnosti učečih se odraslih različne sociološke značilnosti, odvisne od lokalnega okolja. Namen empiričnega dela na Ljudski univerzi Murska Sobota je bil ugotoviti, kateri udeleženci prevladujejo v določenih programih glede na spol, starost in dokončano izobrazbo ter kakšno mnenje imajo o pomenu vseživljenjskega učenja ter o možnostih izobraževanja odraslih. Ugotovili smo, da vzorec izhaja iz ranljivih skupin, med katerimi je veliko brezposelnih oseb in romske populacije, kar predstavlja velik problem v pomurski regiji. Prav tako smo želeli ugotoviti razloge za udeležbo v izobraževanju vzorca, kaj jih motivira in kako se je njihova motivacija za učenje spreminjala skozi leta. Ugotovili smo, da se odrasli najpogosteje srečujejo s situacijskimi ovirami, kot so pomanjkanje časa zaradi družinskih obveznostih ter denarja.In the present learning society of the 21st century education takes an important part of a person’s life and does not end with a formal education acquired at a young age, but – depending on the interests of the individual or the needs of society – is extended or supplemented in various areas. We are talking about life-long learning, which is in today’s economic crisis becoming a worldwide movement with the motto: “Learning for everybody!” It is present in all stages of life and it is widespread. In today’s modern global-information society, which requires the continuous learning, adaptation, development and improvement of knowledge, we are more competitive to preserve the existing and to create new jobs. Only the increase in the level of education and participation in open possibilities of the local area develop people to such an extent that they become self-sufficient. Functionally illiterate part of the population will not be able to overcome a new job situation in the information society, the society of changes and risk. People with the lowest degree of education, population with completed or even unfinished primary school will provide the core of unemployment. Due to the needs of modern globalised society that constantly requires new skills and the interests of the individual the presence of relevant institutions in local areas, which offer high-quality programmes, formal and informal adult education opportunities, is very important. In Slovenia such institutions are so called “folk faculties”, public institutions for adult education. Their primary mission is to educate adults for personal development, furthermore to enable them the acquisition of formal education and the involvement in society. Adult education requires specific pedagogical approaches and has – in various social settings, with regard to demographic characteristics of the learning population – different sociological characteristics, depending on the local area. The purpose of the empirical work at the folk faculty Ljudska univerza Murska Sobota was to determine which participants were prevalent in certain programmes according to sex, age and education and to get their opinions about the importance of life-long learning and the possibilities for adult education. We have found out that the sample has been derived from vulnerable groups - unemployed persons and the Roma population. That has constituted a major problem in Pomurje region. Furthermore we wanted to examine the reasons for the participation in education, what motivated them and how their learning motivation varied through the years. We have found out that the adults have been mostly confronted with situation obstacles, such as lack of time due to family commitments and the lack of money