On 23 January 2018, at its 37th meeting, the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia unanimously adopted the draft of the new Adult Education Act (in Slovenian). This was the result of several years of efforts by the professional public for adoption of changes and updates to the ancient provision from the 1996 or a new Adult Education Act.
The text represents the best possible compromise based on several years of coordination by the key partners and stakeholders. According to the adult education profession, it could still be improved in some aspects, but it definitely brings some very important systematic and professional changes.
The Act provides a clear systemic definition and placement of the public interest, public service and public network of providers, activities and programmes. It ensures long-term stabilisation of financing and implementation of activities in adult education with a focus on vulnerable target groups. The definition of the public interest and public service is clearly based on the Resolution on the Master Plan for Adult Education and operationalisation of the Annual Adult Education Programmes. The local communities are now obliged to prepare annual adult education programmes on a local level.
The new Adult Education Act defines only the domain of non-formal education which does not lead to officially recognised qualifications and is not included in other sector-specific educational legislation. The only exception is the officially recognised programme of elementary school for adults, which is provided entirely by the new Act.
Andrej Sotošek, MSc (andrej.sotosek@SIAE.si), SIAE
