Lifelong learning: Active ageing at polish universities of third age

Zdzisława Zacłona

doi:10.5937/inovacije1404072z

Abstract

The 21st century education should be seen as a lifelong process. Lifelong learning becomes the foundation of human knowledge, their activity, ability to live in a society, but also to create yourself and your own existence. With the growing awareness of the aging population in Europe, the issues of education and active aging have been discussed for years. The announcement by the European Parliament and the Council that year 2012 would be the European Year for Active Ageing and International Solidarity is the appreciation of potential in the hands of senior citizens and the elderly, as well as the opening up to their needs. Poland's parliamentary upper house, the Senate, had recognized senior education as important for the state and declared 2012 the Year of Universities of the Third Age. A large number of UTA students in Poland, a rich and diverse range of educational and activating activities, as well as taking initiative, reinforce the belief that the period of late maturity through an active lifestyle prevents exclusion from the community and improves the quality of life by giving it a valuable meaning.

Highlights

Poland is nowadays following the transformation path towards a global information society
The dynamics of modern changes and rapid obsolescence of knowledge confirm the legitimacy of viewing the diagnosis of the status of modern education as prepared by the authors of the report, by the International Commission on 21st Century Education, entitled Education – Comprising a Hidden Treasure, prepared under the supervision of J
It is based on four pillars that the authors consider to be the same with the following educational goals: learning to know; learning to act, learning to live together; and learning to live (Education – Comprising a Hidden Treasure, 1998: 85−98)

Summary

Introduction

Poland is nowadays following the transformation path towards a global information society. Assuming that education is the key to knowledge, and that the information society is as competitive as economy is based on knowledge, education of people and their preparation for lifelong learning should be a strategic task of the state. This is a major challenge that brings positive consequences for both individuals and the society as a whole. By referring to those key EU documents, shows its commitment to taking specific actions and various initiatives in the area of lifelong learning and activation of elderly persons, and which primarily aim at preventing discrimination against people because of their age and at prevention of their social exclusion. Initiatives and commitment of many people in the development of and systematic, admirable work for these organizations show that there is a societal need for granting higher importance to the universities of the third age

Universities of Third Age in Poland

Active Ageing in Polish Universities of the Third Age

Summary