For many, adult general education represents a new opportunity to earn a high school diploma or to obtain the necessary prerequisites to pursue vocational or college studies. However, there are also other reasons to choose this academic path.
Some teenagers enroll in the adult education program because they weren’t able to finish the regular high school program. Adult education centres give them the opportunity to continue their education. In this adapted school environment, they benefit from the following:
- Passionate and qualified teachers
- Basic training adapted to their needs
- A program that meets the requirements set by the Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur (MEES)
- A personalized learning pace
- Etc.
In this context, adult refers to any person aged 16 or older (as of June 30 preceding the start of the school year) residing in Quebec.
Adult education centres offer specific support that focuses on student retention. For example, the curriculum helps students do the following:
- Develop a vocational project
- Actively engage in their learning
- Learn effective work methods
- Etc.
Sociovocational integration services are intended to provide adult learners with the tools they need to enter the job market. They help students do the following:
- Recognize their needs, strengths, and weaknesses in a professional setting
- Learn about employment agencies and job search websites
- Acquire important teamwork skills
- Improve their communication skills
- Etc.
French courses at an adult education centre are intended for allophones, or immigrants whose mother tongue is not one of Canada’s official languages (i.e., French or English). They aim to help individuals develop French language and intercultural skills. Depending on the student’s level, they teach the following:
- How to introduce yourself
- How to use everyday words
- How to have a structured conversation on practical topics
- Etc.
The TENS equivalency exam (test d’équivalence de niveau de scolarité) is offered at adult education centres. If you pass the exam, you receive an attestation of equivalence of secondary V studies (AESS), which is required for admission into vocational training programs. Sometimes, an AESS is required to enroll in programs that lead to an attestation of collegial studies. The TENS equivalency exam assesses your school competencies:
- Sentence grammar
- Reading comprehension
- Mathematics
- English
- Etc.
If your teen is interested in pursuing their studies at an adult education centre, you can encourage them to speak with a guidance counsellor.
Writing: Amélie Cournoyer
Scientific review : Mireille Moisan, conseillère en orientation
Rewriting : Alloprof Parents' team
Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur. Services et programmes d’études – Formation générale des adultes 2016-2017, Québec, Gouvernement du Québec, 2016, 83 p.
Rousseau, Nadia et al. « L’éducation des adultes chez les 16 à 18 ans : La volonté de réussir l’école… et la vie ! », Éducation et francophonie, (381), 2010, p. 154-177.
Thériault, M. « Apprendre et enseigner à la formation générale des adultes : une recherche ethnopédagogique auprès de finissants et finissantes ainsi que d’enseignantes », Formation et profession, 24 (3), 2016, p. 32-45.