ADULT EDUCATION CENTRES IN FINLAND (Civic institutions or workers institutes)

about 240 centres are working in every municipality in Finland 

oldest is Tampereen työväenopisto (workers institute) founded in 1899

c. 650 000 students every year (Finland has some 5,5 m. inhabitants)

The Centres promotes cultural and educational equality by offering everyone opportunities for learning civic skills and developing their personality

The Centres leading concepts are lifelong and lifewide learning

The task is to offer citizens opportunities to develop their general education and vocational skills

Bringing learning closer to home is one of the key values

VANAJAVESI ADULT EDUCATION CENTRE (VAEC)Vanajaveden Opisto (VOP) www.vanajavedenopisto.fi

VAEC is founded in 1.1.2000. There used to be 4 adult education centres in the area before. The oldest of them was in Hämeenlinna, founded 1927.

VAEC is jointly owned by eight local communities in the district of Hämeenlinna.

There are some 90 000 inhabitants in the district, some 13 % of them take advantage of the lessons offered by the VAEC. (Hämeenlinna has about 48 000 inhabitants).

THE VALUES AND LEADING PRINCIPLES

 

equality in culture and society humanism personal fulfilment social integration and cohesion

SERVICES adult education courses and programs for all those who want to come to study on one´s own initiativethe education of children and young

people in arts and practical skillsin- service education made by order projects for developing the services financed

by e.g. EU or the minister of educationinternational activity: courses, international teachers, projects

COURSES

Over 1000 courses in a year and about 40 000 lessons in a year.Courses study:

once or twice a week in the evenings daytime courses weekend courses short courses (about 1-5 studyevenings or days), e-learning possibilities (languages, information

technology, arts, handicrafts etc.) we are running about 15 elearning courses in the school year 2007-2008

SUBJECTS

arts and crafts (music, visual arts, handicrafts, drama and literature) languagesinformation technologymixed subjects

health and fysical training

MAIN SUBJECTS

handicraft 20 %music 15 %languages 15 %visual arts 13 %health and fysical training 10 %information technology 7 %dance courses 7 %social subjects, lectures etc.

ARTS AND CRAFTS

handicrafts, visual art, sculpture, literature, music, dance, drama, creative writing

2-3 -year ambition programs teaching of arts to adults:

visual arts (3 year)dance (2 year)music (singing, 2 year)

the school of arts for children (6-16 year old)

teaching for children in some local in music, dance and crafts

OPEN UNIVERSITY

courses in social and educational subjects, visual arts, music in co-operation with various universities and especially with the Summer University of Hämecourses lead to valid university degrees mostly taught through a 'multiform system':

students make up their own programme of study according to what they need, sometime partly e-leaning

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

a wide range of courses in basic and complementary computer use and dataprocessing

some 600 tests for the computer driving licences yearly (@-, A- and AB licences)

further training for the teachers of other schools and for peerinstructorsin-service education made by order

LANGUAGES

14 different languages at elementary, intermediate

and advanced levelpreparatory courses lead to international certificates in

englishin co-operation with senior high school courses in French, Italian, Russian and Spanish in-service education made by order

MIXED SUBJECTS

interactive studies 'everyman's skills‘ foreign cultures the civic skills health and fysical training open lectures

THE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG

PEOPLE IN ARTS AND PRACTICAL SKILLS

The School of Visual Arts for Children and Young People about 200 students, aged between 5 and 16 years. We implement the curriculum in basic art education.

Ballet and dance groups About 150 pupils make up the children's ballet and dance

groupsMusic groups: 100 musicians and singersThe School of Textiles and Handicrafts for Children in Hattula: 30 children

STAFF

The Adult Education Centre employs

On permanent basisprincipal assistant principaleducation and project manager11 departmental head teachers office manager 6 secretaries 1 caretakers

On temporary basis

300 teachers and lecturers yearly

PREMISES

the central Vaec building is situated in Hämeenlinna, Verkatehdas (offices and 11 classrooms)

regional offices in Hattula, Janakkala and Lammi

lessons are held in about 130 locations in the area (mainly schools)

FINANCIAL RESOURCES

The funding The Ministry of Education finances 47 % Course fees 22 % The local communities 16 % The income of training service and project funding 15 %

The budget in 2006 2 600 000 €

COURSE FEES

The fees vary between 23-195 € depending on the length of the courses and the expenses of the courses.e.g.

languages, 50 lessons 50 € computer driving licence, start course and the tests 170 € art courses, 80 lessons 70 € textile handicraft courses, 75 lessons 70-90 € technical handicrafts, 100 lessons 115 € visual art, 3-year program, 200 lessons/year 220 € / year dance, 2-year program, 300 lessons/year 300 € / year The School of Visual Arts

for Children and Young, 72 lessons 106 € / year

VERKATEHDAS (previous textile factory) is in the centre of Hämeenlinna

LOCAL RADIO HÄME is in Verkatehdas

THE CULTURE CENTRUM FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE (ARX) is in Verkatehdas

HÄMEENLINNA ART MUSEUMis in Verkatehdas

old VERKATEHDASVAEC´s old premises in Verkatehdas (1-2 floor)

New music and congress hall has been built in the backyard

old VERKATEHDAS VAEC´s old premises from the south, 1-2 floor

old VERKATEHDASour future premises will be on the 3 th floor

VERKATEHDAS, Arts&Congress Centre ~the sketch of the architect at the planning stage in 2005

new VERKATEHDAS

new VERKATEHDAS the rusty steel covered box-like new building in the

background is the new music and congress hall

new VERKATEHDAS

new VERKATEHDAS

new VERKATEHDAS, glass-covered inner room

the music and congress hall is on the right

Our temporary premises in Hämeenlinna 2005-2007

Our temporary premises in Hämeenlinna 2005-2007