Do many people participate in Adult Education?
Question:
Is participation in adult learning increasing?
Response:
The percentage of the population age 16 or older participating in adult education increased from 1995 to 2001 and then declined in 2005. Work-related courses and personal interest courses were the most popular forms of adult education in 2005.
Adult education activities are formal activities including basic skills training, apprenticeships, work-related courses, personal interest courses, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, and part-time college or university degree programs. Overall participation in adult education among individuals age 16 or older increased from 40 percent in 1995 to 46 percent in 2001 and then declined to 44 percent in 2005.
Participation rates varied by sex, age, race/ethnicity, employment/occupation, and education. For example, a greater percentage of females than males participated in personal interest courses (24 vs. 18 percent) and work-related activities (29 vs. 25 percent). Individuals ages 16–24 had a higher overall participation rate in adult education activities than their counterparts age 55 or older. Blacks and Whites had higher rates of overall participation in adult education than their Hispanic peers. Among those employed in the past 12 months, the overall participation rate in adult education was higher for those in a professional or managerial occupation (70 percent) than for those employed in service, sales, or support jobs (48 percent) or those in trade occupations (34 percent). In addition, the overall participation rate in adult education for bachelor’s degree recipients or higher was greater than for those individuals who had some college or less education.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2006). The Condition of Education 2006 (NCES 2006-071)