Definition: Adult education

Category: Education - ISCED

Education specifically targeting individuals who are regarded as adults by the society to which they belong to improve their technical or professional qualifications, further develop their abilities, enrich their knowledge with the purpose to complete a level of formal education, or to acquire knowledge, skills and competencies in a new field or to refresh or update their knowledge in a particular field. This is also includes what may be referred to as "continuing education", "recurrent education" or "second chance education" (ISCED 2011).

The entire body of organized educational processes, whatever the content, level and method, whether formal or otherwise, whether they prolong or replace initial education in schools, colleges and universities as well as in apprenticeship, whereby persons regarded as adults by the society to which they belong, improve their technical or professional qualifications, further develop their abilities, enrich their knowledge with the purpose:
 - to complete a level of formal education;
 - to acquire knowledge and skills in a new field;
 - to refresh or update their knowledge in a particular field (ISCED 1997). http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/other_documents/isced_2011/UNESCO_GC_36C-19_ISCED_EN.pdf United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), ISCED 1997