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Published: 4 February 2010

Participants in adult education are active attendants of cultural events

According to Statistics Finland’s Adult Education Survey, more than one-half of the population aged 25 to 64 in Finland participate in some education or training during the year and even a higher proportion improve their skills and knowledge through informal learning. Besides in training and education the adult population in Finland also participate actively in cultural and sports events.

According to the 2006 Adult Education Survey, nearly two out of three, (64%) of the population aged 25 to 64 in Finland had been to the theatre, concerts, the opera, ballet or a dance performance at least once during the year. Slightly more than one-half (53%) had been to museums or art exhibitions as well as to the cinema (52%). Slightly fewer than one in two, (47%) of the population of this age had attended sports competitions or events.

Figure 1. Attendance of cultural and sports events during the year according to participation in adult education and in informal learning in 2006 (population aged 25 to 64 having attended such events)

Informal learning of adults often takes place in various everyday environments, such as in connection with hobbies or by visiting museums or similar places of historical or scientific interest. Only activity in which the original objective was learning is regarded as informal learning. Naturally, a lot of learning also takes place without the clear existence of such an objective. For this reason, attendance of cultural events, for instance, can be regarded as life-long learning and increasing of human capital.

Education tends to accumulate, in other words, persons who already have high level of education receive most adult education and training. Goal-oriented informal learning is also commonest among those who have also participated in adult education and training. Two out of three of those who participated in informal learning had participated in adult education and training. Similar accumulation also happens with attendance of cultural and sports events (Figure 1). Approximately two out of five of the persons who had attended cultural events had participated in adult education and training and in informal learning during the past 12 months. Two out of five had either participated in adult education and training or studied otherwise. Only one out of five of those who had attended cultural events had not participated in adult education and training or in informal learning. In respect of sports events, the situation is fractionally more even than this.

Participation in adult education and training and in informal learning not only correlated with general attendance of cultural events but also with the frequency of such attendances. Sixteen per cent of those having participated in adult education and training and in informal learning had been to the theatre, a concert, the opera, ballet or a dance performance at least seven times during the year. By contrast, only four per cent of the adult population who had neither participated in adult education and training nor in informal learning had attended such events at least seven times. In respect of visits to the cinema the corresponding figures were nine and four per cent, and in respect of visits to museums and art exhibitions 10 and one per cent. Sports events had been attended at least seven times by 18 per cent of those who had both participated in adult education and training and in informal learning, and by 12 per cent of those who had done neither.

Employed persons and women attended cultural events and men sports events more frequently than the average.

The Adult Education Survey is an EU harmonised survey which was conducted in 29 countries between 2005 and 2008. Internationally comparable data on attendance of cultural and sports events are not yet available at the time of writing this release. Eurostat will publish them during this spring.

Results concerning participation in cultural hobbies over the 1991-2009 period will be published from Statistics Finland’s Time Use Survey at the end of November 2010.

Source: Adult Education Survey 2006

Inquiries: Timo Ruuskanen (09) 1734 3620, Irja Blomqvist (09) 1734 3221, aikuiskoulutus.tilastot@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Appendix tables

• Table 1. Attendance of the theatre, a concert, the opera, ballet or a dance performance by gender (population aged 25 to 64), % (4.2.2010)
• Table 2. Going to the cinema by gender in 2006 (population aged 25 to 64), % (4.2.2010)
• Table 3. Visiting museums or art exhibitions by gender in 2006 (population aged 25 to 64), % (4.2.2010)
• Table 4. Attendance of sports competitions or events by gender in 2006 (population aged 25 to 64), % (4.2.2010)

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Updated 4.2.2010