The functional characteristics of accredited institutions of adult education.

Abstract

The functional characteristics of accredited institutions of adult education We made a structured questionnaire survey conducted among the accredited instituions of adult education between April 2011 and March 2012.
The purpose of our research was to recognize the functional characteristics of the examined institutions. We got an overall picture about the supply of trainings and adult education services. We collected informations on providing equal opportunities for all and the practical implement of the laws and regulations of adult education as well. Our research was based on full sampling. We were given 297 workable questionnaires, it was 20 percent of the full population.
The most important results:
• More than half of the adult training institutions are profit-oriented enter-prises. And there are central budget institutions and non-profit organizations in a similar ratio.
• The biggest customers of adult education programmes are employers and in-dividuals. We recognized that the adult training market is supply and de-mand driven at the same time.
• Upon analysing the type of training programmes, we recognized that adults mainly favour professional further training and acquiring state acknowl-edged vocational qualifications, which are followed by participation in foreign language training.
• The adult training institutions offer the prior learning assessment for adults. The most common assessment method are a written tests.
• Most of the adult training institutions can provide equal access to trainings for the disabled.
• More than half of the institutions have problems with interpretation of legis-lation.
Based on the results of our research we made a ’problem map’ of the adult education system, and we made suggestions to make adult education institutions more efficient