Contributions of Recurrent Education towards the socio-educational and economic development of young people and adults: a study in the municipality of Vila Nova de Paiva

Abstract

The high illiteracy rates among certain age groups of the Portuguese active population, particularly in rural and interior regions of the country, occasioned the creation of Recurrent Education (R.E.). This is a form of education especially aimed at training adults who have left school at an early age, but also young people who have left their courses of study, mainly for working reasons. Having developed professional activity between 1999 and 2004 in Vila Nova de Paiva in the area of R.E. - 1st and 2nd Cycles for basic adult education - we tried to verify if the attendance of this form of adult education brought any contribution towards the socio-educational development, as well as towards the improvement of the economic and working conditions of young people and adults in this municipality. Through an exploratory and descriptive study, we concluded that the training received was clearly beneficial to those who attended R.E. It contributed towards the improvement of their living standards, insofar as it caused the increase of useful everyday knowledge, the development of beneficial behaviors concerning health and prevention, a stronger civic awareness, sensitivity to environmental issues and a general increase in their economic and working conditions.