SOME REFLECTIONS ON DEFINING ADULT EDUCATION.

Overview & Synopsis

ADULT EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES INCLUDES ALL EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES, AS DETERMINED BY THE PURPOSES OF THE SPONSORS, WHICH TAKE PLACE IN AN ORGANIZED CONTEXT. VARIETY, FLEXIBILITY, DECENTRALIZATION, AND SENSITIVITY TO THE NEEDS OF THE LARGER SOCIETY ARE AMONG ITS MOST IMPORTANT FEATURES. THE CRITERIA OF ADULTHOOD ITSELF--MARRIAGE, SELF-SUPPORT, AND TERMINATION OF FORMAL EDUCATION--ARE BEING MODIFIED BY EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC TRENDS IN SUCH AREAS AS PROFESSIONAL CONTINUING EDUCATION, JUNIOR COLLEGE-SPONSORED SKILL TRAINING, AND ADULT DEGREE PROGRAMS. VOCATIONAL RETRAINING, REMEDIAL EDUCATION, VOCATIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL EDUCATION, LIBERAL CONTINUING EDUCATION, INSTRUCTION FOR SPECIAL INTERESTS, AND THE DUPLICATION OF INSTRUCTION PROVIDED BY THE FORMAL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS CONTINUE TO BE MAJOR FUNCTIONS OF ADULT EDUCATION, BUT VOCATIONAL AND LIBERAL EDUCATION MAY TEND TO MERGE AS THE GENERAL LEVEL OF EDUCATION RISES. (THE DOCUMENT INCLUDES IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH AND PLANNING, AND ENROLLMENT DATA FOR ADULT AND HIGHER EDUCATION.) (LY)