You’re never too old to learn
08 January 24
You’re never too old to learn
Following our infancy, our life can be divided into three main sections: School Life, Working/ Parental Life and Retired Life. It is the last one that is often referred to as our Third Age.
With our increasing longevity and good health, we find ourselves looking for something to do in our Third Age. More and more retirees are turning to learning as a great (and very beneficial) time filler.
Yes – retirees are going back to school.
There is an amazing, worldwide organisation that accommodates their ambitions perfectly. The University of the Third Age (U3A) comprises members wishing to either be taught by or simply be a part of like-minded groups. Crafts, languages, the arts, hobbies, science, literature, light sports (e.g. walking, table tennis, yoga, etc.), and so on. They meet at learning centres, but sometimes they meet in someone’s home.
Liberally sprinkled amongst its membership are those who feel they have something to offer – so they either teach or lead a group. There are no pre-requisites for teaching qualifications or experience; if you want to impart your knowledge then go for it! If you’re good then your group will usually grow as the word spreads. If you’re not so good - i.e., boring – then you’ll soon find that retirees don’t have time to waste on you, and there’s a kind of Darwinian shuffle down the corridor into the next classroom to see what’s happening there. And the hapless instructor has learned his or her own lesson in just how interesting they aren’t.
Generally speaking, a class or group will coalesce when a) there is sufficient interest in the topic and b) there is someone who will volunteer to teach or guide the group. This naturally results in a curriculum that varies between learning centres according to who is available to teach what, and whether anyone wants to learn it anyway.
Even though its timetable and subject list might therefore be somewhat ad hoc, the organisation of U3A runs a very tight ship from a business point of view, ensuring that any random or fluid activity remains solely at the coal face – not at the management or organisational level.
As you can imagine, U3A as a concept brings a HUGE benefit to the older community – that being its social aspect. The physical and psychological advantages of regular meetings with others are immense, especially for those who live alone. There are often casual meetings at a coffee shop or nearby park before and/or after class. New friendships are forged, and getting out of the house is massively important to one’s overall wellbeing, as is KEEPING THE BRAIN ACTIVE!
Indeed, it could be argued that the topic of each class is somewhat incidental.
So where did it all start?
The idea of U3A was conceived in France in 1973, where its branches were usually associated with actual universities. The learning content tended to be quite academic, even tapping into those universities for some of their teaching skills. Academic or not, any accreditation for members rarely went beyond certificate level, but it all looked nice in a frame on the wall.
It was open to anyone who had the time to spare – which was predominantly retired people. It became known by a couple of names: UTL – Université du Temps Libre (Free Time University), or UTA – Université Tous Ages (University of All Ages).
The ‘Third Age’ component of the name got a foothold as it all spread around the world, with a global network soon developing. Each participating country had a representation in that global network. Here’s some more French: AIUTA – Association Internationale des Universités du Troisième Âge (International Association of the Universities of The Third Age). The President is currently Professor François Vellas from the University of Toulouse, who is actually the son of the guy who first came up with the idea of U3A in Toulouse in 1973 – M. Pierre Vellas.
Now there are U3As everywhere; they cover pretty well all of Europe, America, Russia, China and more.
The drift away from the more formal, certificated learning structure began when U3A reached the United Kingdom in the 1980s. The idea was to have each learning centre as a kind of franchise – each one being its own cost centre but still linked to the larger network. U3A UK has almost half a million members in over 1,000 centres, with each one being registered as a charity.
Australia
U3A reached Australia in 1984, with the first branch being opened in Melbourne. There are now around 300 branches across Australia, with more than 65 of them in NSW. Australia has opted to follow the less formal UK model rather than the more academic French original.
Each State or Territory has its own network to provide support and resources to its learning centres and has its own website allowing members and the public to access information about what classes are being conducted and where.
For more information on U3A NSW go to www.nsw.u3anet.org.au.
U3A Online
It was inevitable that an online option would ultimately become available for those living in remote areas or having difficulty attending centres. Recalling the original concept of being a learning pathway for anyone who had the time – Université du Temps Libre (Free Time University) – U3A Online is available for anyone who has the time to undertake study.
The website www.u3aonline.org.au currently lists no less than 85 options for signing up to Independent Study Courses.
Have a look. You might learn something.
And yes ... it’s ALL run by volunteers!
You’re never too old to learn