Adult Education Survay, Slovenia, 2007

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With its six key messages, the Memorandum of Lifelong Learning, adopted by the European Commission in October 2000 in Lisbon, outlines the framework for the comprehensive strategy for implementing lifelong learning at individual and institutional levels, and in all spheres of public and private life.

In Slovenia the international Adult Education Survey, which should provide answers to how the targets are being met in Slovenia, was conducted for the first time at the end of 2007.

Women participate in education slightly more than men

In the 12 months before the survey, 40% of adults in the age group 25-64 participated in education; slightly more women than men.

Interest in education falls with age

Half of people aged 25-34, 45% of people aged 35-49 and 27% of people aged 50-64 participated in education.

The higher the education level, the more people participate in education

A person’s level of education plays an important role in deciding to participate in education. More than two thirds of people with tertiary education, 39% of people with upper secondary education and only 13% of people with basic education or less participated in education.

Most common reasons why adults do not participate in education

All respondents were asked about obstacles preventing them from participating in education or from participating more. 60% of respondents did not participate in education although some of them wanted to.

The reasons for not participating in education were very diverse. Adults who participated in education and wanted to participate more stated as the most important reason for not doing so the fact that training conflicted with their work schedule (34%), followed by inability to afford training because it was too expensive (24%). Those who did not participate in education but wanted to stated as the most important reason for not participating the fact that training was too expensive (28%), followed by the fact that training conflicted with their work schedule.

40% of respondents did not want to participate in education

More than 40% of adults who did not participate in education did not want to. The most frequent reason they stated was that they did not need training for their job.

The answers differ slightly as regards the age of respondents, since younger respondents more frequently stated family responsibilities as the reason for not participating, while respondents aged 50+ more frequently stated age or health status. It is interesting that age or health status was the second most common reason for people in the age group 35-49.

Slovenia above the EU average

Compared to the EU, Slovenia is slightly above the average, which is 35.7% of adults aged 25-64 participating in education. By far the highest participation rates are recorded in the Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Finland and Norway). The ranking was made from the results of Eurostat’s Adult Education Survey, which has so far been conducted by Slovenia and 18 other EU Member States.