Regional Distribution of Adult Education in Hungary (2010, 2019)

Abstract

This article presents the results of a study related to the regional distribution of participants in adulteducation programs in Hungary. Adult education is one of the cornerstones of lifelong learning supported by the European Union. The author performed a secondary database analysis from the OSAP 1665 (National Statistical Data Collection Program on Adult Education) database operated by the Pest County Government Office. To answer the main research questions, the author used the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index, Local Moran I Autocorrelation and Hot Spot analysis methods used in regional statistics. Access to education in rural areas is one of the components of reducing unfavorable demographic changes and emigration caused by unemployment. The purpose of the study is to draw attention to the lack of access to education for people living in rural areas and to the fact that education is the first step in keeping the rural population in place. During the study period (2010 and 2019), training centers covered more than 50 percent of the country’s municipalities. Training centers are located along the main roads of the country. A study of the service areas of the district centers revealed which districts lacked such centers. With the help of the research methods, the author obtained data indicating that the training achievements of rural areas are weak, and this may lead to their further backlog. In the southern part of Western Hungary, due to the peculiarities of the economic and settlement structure, area with no training centers was formed. Over time, the problems will also appear in other social and economic indicators, which may require the organization of major catch-up programs.