EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE ELDERLY IN INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

Abstract

Abstract There has been an increasing interest in providing educational opportunities for the elderly in most industrialized countries over the past decade. This is a reflection in part of more older people actively seeking out learning opportunities, a recognition on the part of educators of the continued ability to learn well into old age and a desire to democratize higher education, and the goal of policy makers to promote active retirement in the hope of warding off pathological processes that can accompany aging. Although accurate statistics remain elusive, there has been widespread expansion in both formal and nonformal adult education opportunities for older learners in other industrialized countries. Striking examples include the success of study circles in Sweden and universities of the third age in Europe, Latin America, and Japan. Evidence collected to date suggests that they are not only tremendously popular with older students but also have salutary effects on individuals’ health and well‐being and enhance their ability to contribute to their communities. Nevertheless, all these educational opportunities still reach only a minority of the elderly; efforts in the future must be directed to expanding nonformal learning opportunities if larger numbers of old people are to be reached.