Liberal adult education involves people over the age of 15 taking voluntary studies to develop themselves as humans and citizens, increase their knowledge and improve their skills in subjects in which they are interested.

According to the Act on Liberal Adult Education, the purpose is ”to support on the basis of the principle of lifelong learning the diverse development of people’s personality and their ability to function in the community as well as to promote the realisation of democracy, equality and diversity in Finnish society”.

Institutions providing liberal adult education in Finland are folk high schools (totalling 91), adult education centres (240), study centres (11), sports institutes (14) and summer universities (21).

In 2003 a total of 1 million people (net figure) – more than a quarter of the population over the age of 16 – studied in these institutions. The number of lessons totalled 3.3 million hours, mainly in subjects related to culture, hobbies and languages.

General education

Liberal adult education is non-formal and informal learning. It is primarily general education, although today these institutions also offer qualifications, vocational further education and training, labour market training, apprenticeship training and open polytechnic and university training. But, the bulk of lessons – 84 per cent – are in general education.

In recent years the joint policies of the Government, the Ministry of Education and the liberal adult education institutions have emphasised the role of these institutions as actors that increase active citizenship, civic skills, equality and capacities to participate in civil society.

All liberal adult education institutions receive financial support from the state. In the early years of the 20th century support was discretionary, but since the 1920s it gradually became statutory. Today the state covers a certain percentage of their eligible expenses.

State support is based on a unit rate decided by public authorities and on the teaching performance of the institutions. The state controls the total expenditure by budgeting to annual performance quotas, which the Ministry of Justice can then distribute among the institutions.

Related links:
Finnish Adult Education Association FAEA  

Updated on July 7, 2006