Background information about the MADONA district
Madona district is situated in the North-East of Latvia. The district consists of 20 rural communities and 4 cities. Madona city is situated in the centre of the district, 165 km from the capital of Latvia – Riga.
Madona district is the second biggest district in Latvia. It occupies 3349,3 km2.
According to the results of the population census of 2000, there were 46430 inhabitants in the district (47.1% of them were men, 52.9% - women), which comprises 1,95% of the total number of Latvia’s population. In comparison with 1990 the number of inhabitants has decreased by 7%. 37.5% of the district’s population live in cities.
The average density of population in the district is 13.9 people/km2. Jumurda (3,1 people/km2) un Indrāni (3.6 people/km
2) communities are among the most scarcely populated areas in Latvia. Besides the cities of the district the biggest number of people live in the middle part of the district around Madona city and in the south of the district.
The average unemployment rate as of 1 July 2001 was 9.9%, the highest unemployment rate is in the Eastern part of the district (around 18%). 53.9% from the total number of the unemployed are women, 0.8% are disabled persons.
According to the level of education the inhabitants of the district are divided in the following way: higher education – 8.2%, secondary – 47.0%, lower secondary – 35.4%, primary – 6.7%, less than 4 grades – 1.7%, no education – 1.1%.
The following are the main areas of business in the district: woodworking, agriculture, tourism and trade.
Adult Education Centre of MADONA district
Adult Education Centre of Madona district was founded in 1997 as a supporting institution to the district municipality as well as education. It provides services to the inhabitants of the cities and rural communities of the district. The Centre is a structural unit of the district municipality, which oversees and coordinates the adult education issues in the district, cooperates with the centres and other institutions from other districts and cities.
Information as regards the educational opportunities in the district, in the country as well as abroad is being collected and is accessible to the inhabitants. 35 establishments and organisations (schools, culture establishments, non-governmental organisations) of the district are offering adults the opportunity to enhance their professional expertise, develop their skills. The Adult Education Centre provides information about the possible lecturers, etc. The Centre organises courses on different subjects.
Basic areas of activity of the Adult education centre of Madona district
Providing information to the inhabitants about the possibilities of further education in the district, in Latvia and abroad;
Providing methodological assistance to adult educators, coordinators, training of multipliers, information about possible lecturers;
Organising of courses, seminars: for local government employees, culture workers, educational workers, district population on psychology, computer literacy, project preparation and management, civic education, etc.;
Organising of annual practice for youth on agriculture and housekeeping in the agriculture enterprises of Germany;
Organising of study trips for the agriculture workers of the district to the agriculture enterprises of Germany;
Organising of information days in the municipalities;
Elaboration of further adult education strategy;
Evaluation and financing of local projects;
Participation in the Adult Education Association of European local and regional municipalities;
Participation in different projects.