OPPORTUNITIES FOR FORMAL ADULT EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN BULGARIA – A DISCUSSION ON FLEXIBILITY AND PERMEABILITY OF THE SYSTEM

Abstract

The research is an exploratory and aims to explore the main aspects of a problem, following three research questions: what are the opportunities for formal education and training for adults in Bulgaria, how the connectivity of educational stages and degrees is ensured and at what extend adults participate in formal education and training?
The objectives of the work are: 1) Based on the existing law regulations to present the main types of formal adult education. 2) Analysing the significant factors influencing the provision of adult education and the flexibility and permeability of the system in the sense of existing connectivity and access. 3) To study of national research results (secondary research data) that show the extent of adult participation in training. The methodology considered three closely related issues: 1) The basics of research and analyses are currently ‘in action’ normative documents – laws in the field of education and training. 2) The research questions are focused on understanding the current situation – the study gather data (secondary research data) at a single point in time.3) Тhe research explore concepts and develop understanding. The design is flexible and developed through the data collection process. Taking into account these issues the research methods are qualitative and descriptive and the analyses are thematic – interpret patterns and meanings in the data. The methodology includes: 1) Desk research of existing law regulations of the opportunities for adult education and training. 2) Analyses of factors influencing the provision of adult education and flexibility and permeability of the system 3) Analyses of a secondary research data that has already been collected by government survey of the National Statistical Institute and has been published in the National Information System for Adult Learning. The study takes into account all advantages and shortcomings of chosen methodology.
The main findings and discussion is about the flexibility and permeability of the system for formal adult education. First, the flexibility and permeability of the system in its two segments: pupil learning and adult learning. Second, the flexibility and permeability between different stages of the formal adult education system.
The conclusions show that:
• In the context of the education system, there is no clear definition of an adult learner. Its determination is determined by the compulsory schooling age. In the context of the employment enhancement system (an economically determined system), an adult learner refers to engaged in training 1) person who is between 16 and 65 years of age and is economically inactive, or 2) person who is unemployed and looking for work or 3) person who is employed and wanted to upgrade knowledge and skills.
• On the surface, it appears that the formal adult education and training system is flexible and permeable in the sense of existing connectivity and access. When we go into depth about the conditions related to the way education and training are provided, it can be seen that formal education and training is still looking for its specificity and connection with the self-directed learning of adult learners. The discussion on flexibility and permeability of the system opens ongoing discussions on several levels: conditions for the existence and development of the system; participation in and reasons for adult learning; system characteristics in the context of lifelong learning and adult self-directed learning; sustainability conditions.
This article presents a part of research within the framework of project N 80-10-44/25.04.2023 "Evening schools in the context of lifelong learning ("Mission education" or why adults return to school?) financed by the state budget of the Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" for scientific research for 2023.