The bar chart illustrates the main reasons why adults decide to take part in education, while the pie chart shows people’s opinions about how the costs of such courses should be shared.
Overall, personal interest and gaining qualifications are the leading motivations for adult learning, whereas meeting people and changing jobs are the least common reasons. In terms of funding, most people believe that individuals should pay for their studies, while a smaller proportion think that the government should cover the costs.
Looking at the bar chart in more detail, 40% of respondents reported that their main reason for studying was an interest in the subject, making it the most popular motivation. Almost the same proportion, 38%, wanted to gain qualifications. By contrast, only 22% of adults considered education helpful for their current job, and 20% saw it as a way to improve promotion prospects. The same percentage, 20%, stated that they simply enjoy learning. Much fewer people studied in order to change jobs (12%) or to meet new people (9%).
Turning to the pie chart, the largest share of people (40%) thought that individuals themselves should pay for the courses. Employers were considered the next most responsible group, with 35% of the costs assigned to them. Finally, only 25% of respondents believed that taxpayers should contribute.