The Condition of Education 1996, Indicator 14 Participation in adult education In an age of rapid technological and economic change, lifelong learning is essential, both for individuals and for society as a whole.
Adult education provides an avenue for acquiring new knowledge and upgrading workers' skills.
Differences in participation rates among various groups may indicate the degree of access or the rewards of participation for these individuals. Forty percent of adults participated in adult education activities in 1995, up from 32 percent in 1991. In both 1991 and 1995, adults with more education generally were more likely to participate in adult education activities than those with less education. Employed adults were more likely to participate in adult education than those without jobs. In 1995, among those who were employed, participation rates of females were 9 percentage points higher than those of their male counterparts.