Rehabilitation services seek to address the various needs of persons with chronic schizophrenia but little attention has been paid to their participation informal education . This study surveyed the educational needs of this population . It was hypothesised that these needs are often unmet and that their expression is influenced by an individual's history, expectations and knowledge in relation to education . A questionnaire was administered to 60 subjects in the context of a structured interview . Of the total sample, 26 individuals expressed an interest in further education but only two were currently participating in educational courses . Twelve individuals had recently enquired about further education . Analyses of the data revealed that expressed interest in education was significantly associated with an individual's background and age and with how they construed the associated benefits and difficulties . The implications of the findings for rehabilitation services are discussed .