Adults and old people learning opportunities: case of Lithuania

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Suaugusiųjų mokymas; Švietimo politika; Trečiojo amžiaus universitetas; Adults and old people’s education; Education policy; Access to adult education; University of the Third Age.

ENThe article discusses the adult and old people learning opportunities for Lithuania. Adult education is one of the most important factors that determine both the development of the society and the human achievements in modern society. Education is a social practice which includes education and cultural communication in the broadest sense, as well as actions of human reproduction at large. Access to adult education should ensure the justice in the society, although scientists argue that education system is usually powerless to correct other social systems created by inequality and in justice Accessible and quality adult education system ensures better life, social mobility, and provides status. Accessibility of education (particularly adult’s) is unconsciously problem, unequally understandable phenomenon, rarely becoming the object of special investigation. This can be logical: usage of this concept gained a wider scope only in last years, when essential European political educational documents appeared, first of all, Memorandum of life-long learning. In long-life learning ensuring strategy, the analysis of present state is provided. A potential of informal adults education suppliers when integrating groups of social exclusion, consolidating local communities by raising political and civil literacy of society, what is directly related to common welfare of society, are not fully used. Seeking to increase the integration of socially vulnerable society groups, juridical base is constantly improved in recent years. The law of disabled people social integration and the law of social companies are enacted, interinstitutional programs, reflecting the needs of different social separation groups, making assumptions to develop the initiatives directed to education of social separation groups are implemented. [From the publication]