General adult education comprises general upper secondary schools for adults and liberal adult education. General adult education responds to adults' self-development needs, offers learning opportunities catering for mature learners' own interests and preferences, and develops citizenship skills.
General upper secondary schools for adults are institutions mainly intended for gainfully employed adults, who wish to complete basic education or general upper secondary education syllabi or parts of these. Upper secondary schools for adults are either separate institutions or adult education units operating linked to institutions providing education for young people. They also offer the opportunity to complete the matriculation examination and individual subject syllabi. In addition, it is possible to improve the grades of subjects completed earlier. There are upper secondary schools for adults in approximately 40 municipalities.
National Core Curriculum for Basic Education for Adults and National Core Curriculum for Upper Secondary Schools for Adult were issued in 2004 by the Finnish National Board of Education. It also includes recommendations for the curriculum for the teaching of mother tongue to immigrants studying in Basic Education for Adults. The curriculum was the adopted nationally in August 2006.
Basic education and general upper secondary education for adults are also organised by some folk high schools specific “summer upper secondary schools” and some other educational institutions may also organise teaching of the basic and general upper secondary education syllabi. However, the possible accreditation of the courses they provide is decided by the education provider concerned.
The purpose of liberal adult education is to support the development of individuals and the realisation of democracy and equality on the basis of the principle of lifelong learning. Liberal adult education offers non-formal (non-certificate-oriented) studies, which provide adults with opportunities to develop themselves without qualification- or occupation-specific aims. There are courses on offer in subjects relating to citizenship skills and society and in different crafts and subjects on a recreational basis.
Although liberal adult education does not lead to a qualification, the studies completed in liberal adult education may be taken into account in preparatory training for competence-based qualification and when making an individual plan for completing competence-based qualifications.
The provision of liberal adult education is extensive and instruction is provided in many forms. Liberal education institutions offer courses in subjects relating to citizenship skills and society and in different crafts and subjects on a recreational basis. The study forms range from evening classes in the students’ locality to full-day courses. Some studies are intensive courses taking place on consecutive evenings or on weekends. Moreover, folk high schools offer studies that last several months.