Just under 25,000 people take advantage of educational opportunities in rural areas

Saxony’s rural population remains eager to learn. Every year, around 25,000 people take advantage of educational opportunities in rural areas, according to the State Directorate of Saxony (LDS). The agency had allocated approximately one million euros for such programs this year.

“Education should not be a matter of where you live,” emphasized LDS President Béla Bélafi. “Lifelong learning must be just as readily available in villages as it is in cities.”

Educational Programs Close to Home

According to the LDS, support is primarily directed toward programs for general continuing education, social participation, and the training of volunteers and skilled workers in rural communities. New programs in the areas of digitalization, democracy education, family education, and sustainable regional development can also be implemented with this funding. Rural adult education has been committed to offering programs close to home for many years, the organization stated.

Focus on Health, Technology, Families, and the Environment

For example, a “PC course” focuses on computer skills. In the area of health, for example, there are courses on healthy eating and exercise. Other courses have titles such as “Maintaining Functional Capacity in Everyday Life,” “Job Applications Made Easy,” “Parent Workshop—Media Literacy,” and “Family Education—Ways Out of the ‘Yelling Trap.’” Environmental education is also a top priority, particularly on topics such as solar energy and forests.