Past and Present Developments in the Professionalisation of Adult Learning and Education in Hungary

The purpose of this study is to provide a descriptive analysis of the characteristics of adult learning and education as a profession in Hungary, with a particular emphasis on the professionalisation of the profession and its practitioners. In the study, we seek to answer the question of what the main characteristics of adult learning and education are and whether it can be classified as a profession in Hungary according to traditional theories of the profession. The topic was examined in detail along the lines of relevant literature and data obtained from content analysis of primary source documents. The study shows that the legitimacy of adult education in Hungary remains unclear, which is reflected in the context of the social prestige of adult education, its legislative environment, and the professionalisation of adult learning professionals, which have undergone many structural changes over the past nearly seven decades.