Activities of adult learning associations, 2003

The popular education organizations arranged 50 000 courses with 735 000 participants during 2003. In total, more than 1,6 million lessons were done, 80 per cent of them with a teacher present. The most popular organization, Folkeuniversitetet - An Adult Education Association- accounted for 29 per cent of all courses, 44 per cent of all participants and 38 per cent of all lessons done by popular education organizations.

The Academic Association for Adult Education had the highest average number of participants per course, namely 46. Folkeuniversitetet - An Adult Education Association - and YS Education and Development Centre had on average 22 and 14 participants per course respectively. The average number of participants per course for all organizations was 15.

Compared to the previous year, The Adult Education Association of the Liberal Party arranged 66 per cent more courses and registered 64 per cent more participants during 2003. The Adult Education Association of the Progress Party arranged 45 per cent more courses with roughly twice as many participants as in 2002.

Most participants in Oslo and Hordaland

Courses arranged by popular education organizations attracted most participants in Oslo. In total 4 900 courses with 88 000 participants were arranged in Oslo. Next to Oslo was Hordaland in which 4 600 courses with 71 000 participants took place.

Half of all participants chose aesthetic subjects and handicraft

The participation on different courses varied a lot, depending on subject. Nationwide more than 20 000 courses were arranged within aesthetic subjects and handicraft, counting 373 000 participants. At the other end, 520 courses with 4 400 participants were arranged within goods and services subjects.

In total, 52 per cent of all participants were female. Within goods and services however, women accounted for 74 per cent of all participants. Female participants were also in majority within language studies (68 per cent), health, social and sports (67 per cent) and within social sciences (65 per cent). Men accounted for 71 per cent of all participants within natural resource management, ecology, environmental protection and outdoor recreation and 67 per cent of all participants within transport and communication.

Close to 60 000 were offered examination

In total, 57 700 men and women, or 8 per cent of all participants, were offered examination. Of those who were offered some kind of examination, 18 600 were offered a public examination, 25 200 were offered another valid exam or certificate, 11 200 were offered an internal test and 2 700 were offered a vocational exam.

Of those who were given the option of a public examination, 9 000 were at a higher level, while 7 500 were on upper secondary level.

Tables:

• Table 1 Number of courses, participants and lessons by organization. 1998-2003
• Table 2 Number of courses, participants and lessons, by county. 1998-2003
• Table 3 Number of courses, participants and lessons, by subject. 1998-2003
• Table 4 Number of partocipant by age, sex and county. 1998-2003
• Table 5 Number of participants, by age, sex and subject. 2003
• Table 6 Number of participants, by subject and county. 1999-2003