Recurrent Education: Its Effects on the Austrian Education System.

Overview & Synopsis

The document contains summaries and discussions of six papers presented at a seminar held in Strobl, Austria, in May 1976 to examine recurrent education in Austria. Recurrent education is interpreted as a system which offers both nonwork-related and work-related courses to adults during their working life. The conference dealt with practical implications of lifelong learning which has, in theory, been endorsed by member nations of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The first paper focuses on individual and social relevance of recurrent education in OECD nations. The second and third papers describe the relationship of recurring education to the Austrian elementary, secondary, and post-secondary school systems. Views of recurrent education by university administrators are presented in the fourth paper. The fifth paper discusses the implementation of recurrent education within Austria's adult education system. The sixth paper relates recurrent education to the needs of employers and employees, and points out policy problems in relation to trade union needs, employment trends, and demands by workers for skill upgrading. Also presented are reports of three group discussions of issues relating to the social and economic aspects of recurrent education. A final section identifies the five aspects of recurrent education which were of major interest to seminar participants: motivation, objectives, organization, program content, and possible social and individual effects of recurring education. A directory of seminar participants is included. (Author/DB)