Formation of Adult Learning Systems in Central Europe

The book explores the formation and development of the cross-national patterns of adult learning systems between 1989 and 2019 in Central European countries: the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland. Drawing on the approach of the political economy of adult education and historical institutionalism, the book closely examines (1) how the institutional settings in these countries have formed, evolved and contributed to overall participation in adult education and training, (2) how they have shaped patterns of participation and unequal chances to be involved in this social activity, as well as (3) perceived barriers to access organized learning and related governmental policies.This objective of the book is based on the current empirical evidence on cross-national patterns of adult education and training and lifelong learning policies, which has suggested that existing adult learning systems typologies are insufficient to explain the cross-national variations. This is especially true for Central European countries, which often do not fit the proposed categorizations. With the aim of achieving this goal, this book offers a contemporary overview of key findings regarding adult learning systems. It delves into the factors that influence participation in adult education and training. Furthermore, the book introduces a novel framework, GALS (Global Adult Learning Space), designed to enhance the analysis of adult learning systems. Through the utilization of the GALS framework and historical institutionalism, the book not only highlights a crucial distinction among adult learning systems within the region but also presents in-depth case studies of these systems in Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia spanning a 30-year period. Despite these countries sharing similar institutional backgrounds and societal challenges, the book reveals that their adult learning systems have undergone divergent trajectories over the past three decades. This divergenceis attributed to specific national linkages between adult learning systems, the labor market, the welfare state, and the formal education system. Additionally, the influence of governmental policies that have been implemented is identified as a key contributor to this trend.