Role and position of public adult education centres in Slovenia

Mag. Brigita Kruder and Ema Perme

Summary:  The Adult Education Centres are public institutions for educating adults, which spread their network over the entire Slovenia. The tradition of their activity is integrated in the local area as fl exible, developmentally oriented institutions which with their programme design, activities, personnel and material infrastructure, represent the foundations on which Slovenia is building the goals from the Resolution on the National Adult Education Programme (in continuation ReNPIO). These centres are joined in the Association of Slovenian Adult Education Centres for half a century. The history of individual members reaches back into time before the Fist World War. If we look at the history of activity of educating adults at the adult education centres, we can observe the adjustment of the programme offer to the social and economic circumstances. The last have always been heavily infl uenced by the social and political circumstances which have been marked by the ruling and school politics of individual periods. Furthermore, the conditions for ensuring the public resources to carry out the so called priority programmes on the national level and in the framework of the public network of organizations proceeded from these politics, as well. The criticism of today’s historic moment and existence of the important part of the system of education in Slovenia lies in its insuffi cient systemic and law regulation and following of the nationally priority programmes and activities connected to the adult education since on the national level we are avoiding to exercise the goals of ReNPIO and the serious work on its Analysis. What is more, the analysis does not exist as well as Reports of the annual adult education, or they are not accessible to the public. This situation seriously threatens the stability and maintenance of the public service and the public network of institutions with the biggest share of all the organisations for adult education to ensure the specialized programmes for individual groups of adults (the vulnerable groups with special needs, for e.g. the Roma people, immigrants, younger adults, unemployed people etc.). The systemic defi ciency and normative disorder on the legislative level can result in a break of the public network and sustenance of development of the adult education in Slovenia. The consequences are almost unimaginable.