The Future of Education

Adult education system reflects a dynamic interplay between tradition and innovation, while adult learners are at the center of inclusive, flexible, and skill-oriented educational frameworks, preparing societies for resilience and sustainability in 21st century. Evolved through centuries of social, economic, and political transformations, and once viewed as supplementary or remedial, adult education has nowadays become a vital pillar of modern educational systems. As the global education landscape undergoes rapid transformation, the value of non-formal adult education is gaining renewed attention due to demographic shifts, digital innovation, labor market volatility, and the imperative for lifelong learning. This paper presents the non-formal adult education from the perspective of a Ljudska univerza (People’s university) from Slovenia—an institution with a long-standing tradition of providing accessible, community-based learning for adults. Through the lens of one such institution, this paper explores the past foundations, current practices, and future directions of adult education in Slovenia. The Slovenian example offers a valuable case for how small institutions can make a big difference in shaping the future of education: one that values not only systems, but people; not only degrees, but personal growth.