Legislation on adult education between harmonization and subsidiarity: the example of south eastern Europe
Legislation on adult education between harmonization and subsidiarity: the example of south eastern Europe

Summary/Abstract: Debate on the structure and content of legislation for adult education was initiated in the mid 1950s in the Western world, and especially in the Federal Republic of Germany. Until then it had been a traditional stance of adult education to oppose any influence on the part of the State. But as the field became increasingly regarded not only as a part, but also as a fourth pillar of the overall educational system, professionals in the field began demanding a legal framework to guarantee the existence, development, and financing of adult education provision. Toward the end of the 1990s, within the context of the Stability Pact, a process was initiated in the countries of South Eastern Europe to develop legislation designed to establish adult education as an integral part of lifelong learning and to bring vocational training, basic education, and civic education under one roof. Civic education in this connection was regarded as in instrument for promoting tolerance among minorities and overcoming the constraints of ethnic nationalism. In the present article, the author explores some of the stages of this legislative process based on his own work and experience in the field.

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