Adult Education in Quebec CEGEPs and Public Policy
The authors examine the development of adult education in Quebec’s cégeps from 1960 to 2022. Situated within a sociology of public action framework, they reflect on the effects of political cycles on adult education in these institutions. They use documents from government and civil authorities and analyze the evolution of adult student populations to understand their position in the college milieu and identify social inequalities affecting access to education. This analysis describes three periods of development in adult education in Quebec that correspond to three public policy regimes: providentialist education policy, the professionalization of adult education, and lifelong learning policies. Descriptions of each period illustrate these ongoing processes and shed light on the significance of policy conversion between periods. The third period intensified the potential effects of the COVID-19 crisis.