The Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) announced the results of the “Adult Education Survey” for last year.
Accordingly, while the rate of those aged 18 and over who attended formal or non-formal education in the last 12 months in Turkey was 22.7 percent in 2016, this rate was 22.9 percent last year. The highest participation was in the 18-24 age group with 51.7 percent. This was followed by the 25-34 age group with 33.2 percent.
While 25.5 percent of men aged 18 and over participated in formal or non-formal education activities, this rate was recorded as 20.3 percent for women.
When the non-formal education activities that individuals have participated in in Turkey in the last 12 months are evaluated according to the International Standard Classification of Education: Education and Training Fields 2013 (ISCED-F, 2013), services took the first place with 30.3 percent.
This field of education was followed by health and welfare with 15.6 percent and education with 10.1 percent, respectively. Agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary medicine ranked last with 1.4 percent.
When the education areas where non-formal education activities take place are examined according to age groups, services take the first place in the age groups of 18-24, 25-34, 35-54 and 55-64.
The 65 and over age group ranked first in the arts and humanities with 28.9%, and in the field of health and welfare with 28.6%.
First-line employers in non-formal education providers
In Turkey, employers stood out with 40.2 percent as the providers of non-formal education attended by individuals aged 18 and over, followed by non-formal education institutions with 29.6 percent and formal education institutions with 13.7 percent.
As non-formal education providers for women receiving education, non-formal education institutions took the first place with 35.7 percent, and employers with 46.9 percent for men who received education.
Non-formal education institutions topped the list as non-formal education providers in the 18-24 age group.
Considering the education providers by age groups of the participants, non-formal education institutions, 25-34 and 35-54 age groups, respectively, with 38.1, 38.1 percent and 53.1 percent, respectively, in the 18-24, 55-64, 65 and over age groups. In the groups, employers were seen to be in the first place with 42.6 percent and 44.5%, respectively.
When the participation in non-formal education is analyzed according to the reasons, doing one’s job better with 60.7 percent is followed by getting information about a subject that interests him with 53.8 percent and being obliged to participate with 47.1 percent.
Informal learning is most prevalent in the 18-24 age group.
Informal learning, defined as “learning activities outside of formal and non-formal education, which is conscious but less organized, less structured and directed by oneself, family or society”, was most prevalent among the young population.
While 40.5 percent of the population in the 18-24 age group participated in informal learning in 2016, this rate was 47.2 percent last year.
The Adult Education Survey was first conducted in 2007, and then in 2012 and 2016. The last field application of the study was done last year.