ADULT EDUCATION COUNCIL 1997 - 1999
 

 

1. Adult Education Council and its role

The Adult Education Council is an expert body assisting the Ministry of Education; its members are appointed by the Government for a three-year term at a time. The present term is from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 1999.

The Adult Education Council follows the situation in Finnish adult education and promotes research and development in the field. In addition, the Council encourages cooperation between adult education organisations and cooperation between them and the rest of the education and training sector and society at large. The Council contributes to performance evaluation and development of adult education policy and adult education provision, issuing statements and taking initiatives.

The sector covered by the Adult Education Council includes adult education which receives public funding:

  • home economics advisory organisations,
  • arts and crafts organisations,
  • upper secondary schools for adults and adult lines in ordinary schools,
  • adult education centres,
  • folk high schools,
  • study centres,
  • adult vocational education centres,
  • private vocational institutes,
  • adult education in vocational colleges,
  • adult education in polytechnics,
  • adult education in universities, and
  • summer universities.

2. Mission

The Government resolution of 18 October 1994 assigns the following mission to the Adult Education Council:

  1. To take initiative and submit proposals to authorities and other parties to adult education development;
  2. To deal with matters of principle or otherwise important matters at the request of the Ministry of Education and make proposals relating to them;
  3. To act as a consultative body in matters relating to adult education;
  4. To execute other tasks assigned by the Ministry of Education.

The Adult Education Council has decided to focus its activities during its current term on the following themes:

  1. Lifelong learning and development of adult education evaluation (1997- 98).
  2. Internationalisation and growing cultural diversity in Finland, Finland's Presidency of the EU and the opportunities inherent in it in terms of adult education (1998- 99).
  3. Challenges facing adult education at the threshold of the 21st century (1999).

To this end, the Adult Education Council has launched wide-scale evaluation of adult education. Within the project evaluates the adult education policy pursued in the 1980s and 1990s and Finnish research into adult education, draw up an evaluation strategy and develop an incentive system for rewarding good performance in adult education. Adult education policy was evaluated by Professor Risto Rinne from the University of Turku. He submitted his report to the Ministry of Education in December 1998. The evaluation of adult education research will be completed in 1999.

In order to achieve the objective set for the last year of its term, the Adult Education Council has commissioned six expert opinions of the adult education policy needed in the near future. These, Professor Rinne's evaluation and a seminar to be held in 1999 will create a solid basis on which to outline adult education for the 21st century.

3. Working methods

The methods used by the Adult Education Council to achieve the stated objectives include:

  • Subcommittees and their work
  • Studies and reviews in co-operation with other ministries
  • Background studies and reports by the Secretary General and other members
  • Cooperation with the Division for Adult Education and Training of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labour, the Labour Market Training and Vocational Rehabilitation of the Ministry of Labour, and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
  • Seminars and expert meetings with adulate education policy experts and researchers
  • Keeping up-to-date with adult education development in the OECD, EU ja UNESCO
  • Study visits
  • Statements to Parliament, ministries, the Government and the media
  • Publication of the opinions and reports
  • Information to educational authorities, educationalists and the public at large
  • Two-way communications with the members, deputy members and permanent experts of the Adult Education Council.

4. Composition

The Adult Education Council has been composed parliamentary. The members are adult education experts, MPs and representatives of the social partners.

The Council has permanent experts who represent the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the National Board of Education, the Rectors Conference of Finnish Polytechnics and Finnish Council of Directors of Centres for University Continuing Education.

The Adult Education Council is chaired by Risto Kuosmanen, City of Helsinki, Adult Education Centre. The Vice-Chair and the Chair of the Labour Subcommittee is Jari-Pekka Jyrkänne, Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions.

Evaluation Subcommittee is chaired by Heikki Suomalainen, Confederation of Finnish Industry and Employers. Research Subcommittee is chaired by Maisa Lovio, Association of Finnish Local Authorities.

Secretary General of the Adult Education Council is Matti Ropponen, Lic.Tech., who also acts as secretary to the subcommittees.

5. Contact information

ADULT EDUCATION COUNCIL

Secretary General Matti Ropponen
Ministry of Education
P.O. Box 293
FIN-00171 HELSINKI

Tel: +358- 9-13417079
Fax: 09-13416982
e-mail: Matti.Ropponen@minedu.fi

www.minedu.fi/asiant/aikuisko.html

 

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