A NEW CONCEPTION OF ADULT EDUCATION, CLOSELY LINKED WITH TECHNOLOGICAL, POLITICAL, AND SOCIOECONOMIC CHANGES DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THIS CENTURY, HAS BEEN EMERGING IN THE FRENCH SPEAKING AREAS OF BELGIUM. THIS FORM OF EDUCATION ("EDUCATION PERMANENTE") IS IMPORTANT AND NECESSARY AS A MEANS OF HUMANIZING AND DEMOCRATIZING THE WHOLE SOCIETY. THE PROVINCES, RURAL AND URBAN COMMUNITIES, THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT, RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND NUMEROUS SPECIALIZED GROUPS ARE ALL ACTIVE IN ADULT EDUCATION. HOWEVER, EVEN IN URBAN AND INDUSTRIAL AREAS, WHERE MOST ADULT PROGRAMS ARE CONCENTRATED, THE SUPPLY DOES NOT MEET THE DEMAND. THEREFORE, STATE AND PRIVATE ENTERPRISES MUST GREATLY INCREASE THEIR FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO MASS ADULT EDUCATION. ULTIMATE SUCCESS WILL DEPEND, NOT ONLY ON MONEY, BUT ALSO ON ACTION AND EXPERIMENTATION, CONTINUAL ASSESSMENT AND REVISION OF PROGRAMS AND METHODS, AND CLOSER COOPERATION AND COORDINATION AMONG SPONSORING BODIES IN WAYS THAT WILL PRESERVE LOCAL AND PRIVATE INITIATIVE AND GUARANTEE CONTINUITY, EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, AND HEALTHY COMPETITION. (ALSO INCLUDED ARE ABSTRACTS IN ENGLISH AND GERMAN, AND STATISTICS OUTLINING THE GROWTH AND SCOPE OF VARIOUS TYPES OF ADULT EDUCATION IN FRENCH SPEAKING BELGIUM.) THIS DOCUMENT APPEARED IN THE INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF EDUCATION, VOLUME 12, NUMBER 2, 1966. (LY)