It is quite urgent to reform the system of recruiting students in adult higher education to make it be of more powerful vitality so as to adapt the requirement of the continual development of socialist market economy.

Te adult higher education is the important constituent of the higher education.

In the context of education popularization in China nowadays,adult higher education reduces the threshold of recruiting student.

In light of the characteristics of adult education, it is concluded that libraries of colleges and universities should provide characteristic services according to such characteristics.

The role that teachers teaching competence plays in adult education has engaged interest and attention worldwide,hence a hot topic of research and discussion.

This paper discusses the development,function and some specific features of adult education in analyzing the adult higher education in Britain and the USA.

The higher adult education of ideological and ethical standards;

study and introduce the experience of foreign country appropriately,will make the adult higher education of our country avoid detours.

Adopting the ordinary higher education mode will cause adult higher education to lose its own characteristics and func- tion,cause it to"be similar to ordinary higher education",that is to say,the adult higher education is similar to or identical with ordinary higher education in teaching-mode,management-mode,theoretical system,etc.

Application of the education expectations of adult education;

A review of the research achievements of adult education in the new phase;

Adult education is an important part of higher education.