Pennee Narot - Education for the Elderly in the Asia Pacific

The purpose of this Series is to meet the needs of those interested in an in-depth analysis of current developments in education and schooling in the vast and diverse Asia-Pacific Region. The Series will be invaluable for educational researchers, policy makers and practitioners, who want to better understand the major issues, concerns and prospects regarding educational developments in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Series complements the Handbook of Educational Research in the Asia-Pacific Region, with the elaboration of specific topics, themes and case studies in greater breadth and depth than is possible in the Handbook.

Topics to be covered in the Series include: secondary education reform; reorientation of primary education to achieve education for all; re-engineering education for change; the arts in education; evaluation and assessment; the moral curriculum and values education; technical and vocational education for the world of work; teachers and teaching in society; organisation and management of education; education in rural and remote areas; and, education of the disadvantaged.

Although specifically focusing on major educational innovations for development in the Asia-Pacific region, the Series is directed at an international audience.

The Series Education in the Asia-Pacific Region: Issues, Concerns and Prospects, and the Handbook of Educational Research in the Asia-Pacific Region, are both publications of the Asia-Pacific Educational Research Association.

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A trip to villages in our area a few years ago prompted us to return to debate and discuss the problem of ageing communities in the villages. Some villages are not far from the city area, but the village headmen and the local administrators raised similar concerns of how to support the elderly and retired community members.

In the past when we considered development, we thought about education and the need to educate people through the schooling system. But present education approaches are not just about education and schooling for young people. Education now has an emphasis on being lifelong and intellectually or technically equipped for well-being. Education can occur in many settings, involves many kinds of activities and can be in many forms: formal, non-formal and informal education. Schools and colleges are not the only institutions that educate people. The community, workplace, mass media (through online programming) or other organizations can play a role in education.

We further discussed what lifelong education can offer for the elderly. Nowadays, education can provide career enhancement; skills development can lead to a career change and keeping up with technological advances can meet the demand for more skilled workers created by a skills gap. Education can provide a channel for participation in which aged people are motivated to meet people. This function has been positively associated with adult psychological well-being. Education for the elderly promotes older learners reserve capacities to fulfil their everyday lives. Lifelong learning promotes the development of inclusive equitability and an active ageing society, which is the goal of every society.