Adult and Continuing Education in France

Abstract

The interconnectedness of adult education, learning and its socio-political environment (persons and organizations, aims and educational concepts, as well as the labor market) is closer than that of universities and schools. Political, social, economic and cultural aspects of the particular national environment not only provide the general framework for adult education and learning, but are also under their influence.There are various reasons for that. First of all, adult education has become an integral part of people's lives. Learning is considered a lifelong process in which knowledge, new competencies, skills and behavioral patterns are acquired. In addition, learning occurs not only on an individual level, but all economic development as well as democratic participation of the individual requires formal and informal learning.Hence, the appearance of adult education and learning can be quite interlaced, confusing and complex. It varies from presentations, weekend seminars, courses of longer duration up to long-term vocational training. It occurs in companies, in educational organizations, at home, in cultural institutions and in the media. It is subject to different political and legal contexts. Sometimes, adult education is financed by official or state funds, sometimes by project resources; increasingly it is structured by the market.The various "systems" of adult education that are embedded in national and regional traditions are hard to compare with each other. This becomes obvious when supra-regional and transnational projects with common interests and experiences are aspired to. The European Union is an excellent example for a process in which such differences are becoming more and more visible.Stakeholders in research, practice and politics of adult education are more and more and more often confronted with the necessity to communicate and cooperate with partners in other nations on a professional level. Here, content, funding, reputation and interests become relevant. Cooperation and communication may be inefficient if the knowledge about conditions and structures in other European regions is insufficient. Especially when it is about details in cooperative structures, a lack of knowledge can turn into a problem.If you want to cooperate with European partners, an overview about the situation of adult education and adult learning in other countries can be very helpful, since it puts partial information into context. This can be the base for further exploration.The German Institute for Adult Education (DIE) -Leibniz Centre for Lifelong Learning continues its established series of reports on adult education in other European countries with this volume on "Adult and Continuing Education in France".