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Lifelong learning as a resource third age development
Firuza KHUSAINOVA
1
Tashkent State University of Law
ARTICLE INFO
ABSTRACT
Article history:
Received May 2021
Received in revised form
28 May 2022
Accepted 20 June 2022
Available online
25 July 2022
The article analyzes the history of the University of the Third
Age, the importance of education for people of the third age,
considers the views of representatives of different eras, the
opinions of scientists, the psychological characteristics of
people belonging to the category of the third age.
2181-
1415/©
2022 in Science LLC.
https://doi.org/10.47689/2181-1415-vol3-iss6/S-pp2
79-286
This is an open access article under the Attribution 4.0 International
(CC BY 4.0) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.ru)
Keywords:
lifelong learning,
University of the Third Age,
education,
elderly person,
third age, lifestyle,
“French model”,
“British model”.
“Lifelong
learning”
учинчи
ёшдаги
инсонлар
ривожланишининг манбаи сифатида
АННОТАЦИЯ
Калит сўзлар:
“lifelong learning”,
учинчи ёш университети,
таълим, кекса одам,
учинчи ёш,
турмуш тарзи,
“француз модели”,
“британ модели”.
Мақолада учинчи ёш университети тарихи, учинчи
ёшлилар учун таълимнинг аҳамияти таҳлил қилинади,
турли давр вакилларининг қарашлари, олимларнинг
фикри, учинчи ёшлиларнинг психологик хусусиятлари
кўриб чиқилади.
1
Acting Associate Professor, Department of General Sciences and Culture, Tashkent State University of Law.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan. E-amil: fayruza2003@mail.ru, fayruzakhusainova@gmail.com.
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Lifelong learning как ресурс
развития людей третьего
возраста
АННОТАЦИЯ
Ключевые слова:
lifelong learning,
Университет третьего
возраста,
образование, пожилой
человек,
третий возраст,
образ жизни,
«французская модель»
,
«британская модель»
.
В статье анализируется история университета третьего
возраста, значение образования для людей третьего
возраста, рассматриваются взгляды представителей
разных
эпох,
мнения
ученых,
психологические
характеристики людей, относящихся к категории третьего
возраста.
Lifelong learning is not just a buzzword, but a severe necessity in a world of
constant technological and social change. And this applies to all ages. Older people who
have stepped into the 21st century should realize that the quality of their life directly
depends on their willingness to learn new things.
The history of the University of the Third Age as an educational direction dates
back more than five to ten years after the opening in 1962 of the first institute for retired
professionals in New York, which was later transformed into the Institute for Retirement
Education. Ten years later, in France, in Toulouse, the first University of the third age in
France was established. Later, similar institutions appeared in many countries of the
world and received significant development.
At present, the University of the Third Age continues to successfully develop and
implement various functions, while its main goal is to adapt older people to the social and
economic changes taking place in society and ensure a high quality of their life for the
benefit of each person and society as a whole [1].
“Third age” is the stage of a person’
s life cycle, at which he leaves the sphere of
professional activity, changes the nature of his work, lifestyle due to circumstances
related to the physiological characteristics of an elderly person.
“Third age” is the
conventional name for the first years of retirement age, bringing a person closer to old
age. This is the age of the highest wisdom, common sense, the prevailing philosophy of
life, the accumulated vast experience of success and loss. A person at this age is a
contemplative, observer, adviser, consultant, spiritual mentor, an example of kindness
and high morality” [2].
Modern pedagogy is based on the vision of education as a continuous process.
According to the Memorandum of Lifelong Education [3], a person
’
s learning should be
carried out throughout his life. This idea did not come up today. The question of the need
to continue teaching in old age was raised in antiquity.
Of the ancient authors, the idea of the need to continue education at this stage is
most fully revealed by Mark Tullius Cicero (106 BC
–
43 BC) in his famous dialogue “On
Old Age”.
He names ways to combat aging: you need to “monitor your health, resort to
moderate exercise, eat and drink as much as you need to restore strength, and not to
oppress them. At the same time, it is necessary to support not only the div, but to a
much greater extent the mind and spirit, because they, if oil is not added to them, like a
lamp, go out from old age.
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Activities and knowledge Cicero calls “food for the soul”.
With age, well-educated
people
’
s interest in science increases.
“A greater pleasure than this pleasure for the mind,
of course, cannot be.”
The idea of Cicero about the need to maintain mental activity is extremely close to
modern research [4].
In the scientific literature, instead of the concepts of “old age” and “old age”, the
term “third age” is increasingly used, avoiding the involutional coloring of this stage.
The
category of “elderly people”, or “people of the third age”, as they are commonly called in
the world, includes people aged 60 to 74 years [5].
The term “third age” was introduced into scientific circulation by the British
scientist P. Laslett in 1996. From that moment on, it is understood as the retirement age,
which marks the appearance of another stage in the human life cycle
–
between
adulthood and old age.
The old age itself received from him the name of the “fourth age”.
The study of the social problems of people of the third age is one of the urgent
problems of modern society, since there is both a significant increase in the number of
people of retirement age, and varying degrees of disruption of their interaction with
society, with various social institutions. These disruptions of interaction tend to break
many social ties and push people out of public life, that is, lead to social exclusion.
Many authors note that in the chain of actions leading to the displacement of
people of the third age from society, the first is retirement, then the loss of relatives and
friends, and, finally, placement in a closed institution [6].
As the English scientist Groombridge emphasizes, getting an education in old age
serves to solve several reasons, among which he outlined, firstly, education can
contribute to the self-reliance and independence of older people ... thereby reducing the
growing demands on public and private resources, secondly, education is the main factor
enabling older people to cope with innumerable practical and psychological problems in
a complex, changing and fragmented world, the third reason sounds like education for
older people themselves enhances their actual or potential contribution to development
of society, the fourth reason is that the self-knowledge of older people and the transfer of
their experience to other generations contributes to balance, perspective and
understanding, which is valuable in a rapidly changing world of conflicts, and the last
reason is indicated as education is crucial for many older people, especially for those who
aspire to self-expression and learning [7].
Emphasizes the potential of the late stage of human life as a period of vigorous
activity favorable for travel, new interests, hobbies and opportunities for education and
development. Working retirees study to prolong their professional longevity; non-
working
–
pursue different goals
–
maintaining health, communication, leisure,
broadening their horizons, etc. Recently, the interest of researchers has been attracted
precisely by the education of non-working pensioners, which is a means of social
adaptation after the termination of employment [8].
A change in lifestyle that occurs in connection with a decrease in labor activity,
retirement, a drop in social status, a narrowing of the social environment, and other
losses leads to the fixation of thoughts, ideas, ideas on one
’
s own life. As a result, either an
integrative perception and acceptance of one
’
s life in all its fullness and diversity, with all
the difficulties, mistakes, achievements, or a global rejection of life and oneself in it is
formed. In the first case, one can speak of wisdom, in the latter, of despair. Although, an
ordinary person can be both at different and at an equal distance from these poles.
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An analysis of the relevant literature, as well as direct observations and
experience, make it possible to identify the main problems of older people:
In 1979, a group of scientists at Harvard University started a curious experiment.
Settling in a country holiday home for elderly men
–
the youngest of them was 70 years
old
–
they were invited to go back twenty years, act as if it was 1959, when they were all
still working, and talk about the events of that time in the present tense. To complete the
picture, the subjects were given certificates with photographs from twenty years ago. The
music of the 60s sounded in the house. All newspapers and magazines were dated the
same year.
Time travel was amazing. Absolutely all the subjects rejuvenated outwardly. Those
who were served by younger relatives before the experiment switched to self-service. In
addition, judging by the results of the studies, all subjects increased muscle strength and
improved short-term memory. They began to see and hear better. The joints became
more flexible and the ability to learn increased.
In short, the results of the experiment have shown that in old age the physical
condition largely depends on the psychological attitude and that the way of life is largely
determined by the external attitude. In other words, if others treat older people as
incapable of vigorous activity
–
whether it be physical or mental, it does not matter
–
then they behave accordingly.
Lifelong learning, or rather, that aspect of it that is sometimes called “third age”
education, is a relatively new, but actively developing and very effective form of
promoting a culture of constructive old age.
Most of all, older people do not want to remain inactive, they want to realize
missed opportunities in education, creative activity, family relationships. They wonder:
how should this time be spent? How can you make good use of this time? The need for an
P
ro
b
le
m
s
of
th
e
el
d
er
ly
, m
an
if
es
te
d
s
u
b
je
ct
iv
el
y
Feeling of social death, own uselessness
Feeling of alienation, derealization in society, in culture
Feeling helpless and dependent, feeling like a hindrance
Loneliness, fear, anxiety, humiliation, resentment, depression
Experience of loss (relatives and intimacy, status and prestige, faith and ideals)
Loss of a sense of meaning in life, disappearance of goals
Negativization of personal identity, decreased self-esteem
Feeling of physical and/or intellectual regression
Experiencing economic problems, etc.
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active life of older people through their education is one of the hot topics of modern
scientific research and is perceived as a necessary part of the education system.
Education not only allows you to maintain an intellectual level, but the very achievement
of goals brings satisfaction, creating a positive emotional background, maintains self-
esteem, self-confidence [9].
The process of acquiring new knowledge by older people is unique for the reason
that in old age the individual characteristics of each person play a significant role.
The participation of older people in educational activities gives them clear
advantages, especially in terms of achieving their well-being in life, increasing their sense
of responsibility for themselves, a sense of satisfaction with what they have achieved and
improving their health; in addition, it gives them the opportunity to actively participate
in public life.
The need to preserve the active life of older people through their education is one
of the current topics of modern scientific research in the field of gerontology, andragogy
and adult social education. In order for the elderly to be physically and spiritually healthy
for as long as possible, and for the young to better understand and appreciate the
representatives of the older generation, it is necessary:
–
help an elderly person to correctly understand what is happening;
–
to help in the realization of his own capabilities;
–
help in the implementation of what an elderly person could not do during his life;
–
to help him gain knowledge for further development and a fulfilling life in
modern society.
These goals are achievable if the education of the elderly is developed as a
component of the process of continuous education. The right to education, one of the
fundamental human rights, cannot be limited on the basis of age, which implies the
continuity of education and the possibility of its continuation in old age. It is the adult
who is learning that plays the leading role in the learning process. It is an adult who sets
specific learning goals for himself, while striving for independence, self-realization, self-
government, and seeks the fastest possible application of the knowledge and skills
acquired during training. And since an adult has professional and life experience,
knowledge, skills that should be used in the learning process, his learning should not
contradict his own experience [10].
The story of Mikhail Kazinik (art critic, musician, writer, poet, philosopher,
director, passionate enlightener), one of the most erudite people of our time, is proof that
age is not a pathology, age is a potential:
“My mother comes to me after the death of my father, I cannot leave her in Belarus
with a pension of $ 100 in a Khrushchev, especially where everything resembles my
father. I invite her to Stockholm.
They give her permission, she comes to me. Three months later they give her her
own apartment, because it is believed that she cannot depend on anyone but the state,
they give her her own pension, free medicine, free electricity, free taxi, free transport,
everything!
And finally comes the wonderful paper. You see how long I come to talk about old
age! The paper says: if you wish to study in a school for foreigners in order to learn the
Swedish language, you are welcome, we start on such and such dates.
Mom: “Son, I’
m 73 years old, I won
’t disgrace myself?”
I say: “Mom, you have always been an excellent student, and in this school you will
be an excellent student.”
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Mom came to school. There are the same old women and old men like her. Some
are 10 years older, they are 83, some are younger
–
they are 67, children, you can say.
And so the class was created. With all school and classroom stories. With love, with notes,
with birthday celebrations with cakes, with trips around Sweden, and everything is free,
the whole state pays.
My mother died at the age of 97. One of her friends died at 99 due to a medical
error, another friend died at 103. In recent years, they have written and published a book
together, they also traveled to Spain, flew to England, Israel, got impressions. And here is
an interesting point. Of this class, three-quarters of the students are alive.
At a certain age, a person receives a paradigm: life is over, only illness, darkness
and death lie ahead. Nodiv needs my thoughts, my ideas, my poems, or music, I
’
m
abandoned by everyone. I need to live.
When a person goes to school and writes irregular verbs on his knees, he receives
information inside the brain: “I am not looking into
the darkness, but I am learning
Swedish in order to speak it, and not to use this stupid language lie down in the coffin.”
Man is not only a div, it is a spirit.
When the div is stronger than the spirit, then it goes to survival. When the spirit
is
stronger than the div, it laughs at the div: “How old are you –
80 or 90?”
Not at all, I
’
m learning Spanish. I fell in love! In a very young, 65 years old, you had
to live to be 80 years old and fall in love for real. I thought it was love, but it was
friendship.
And this is where the miracle begins. As soon as you reprogram your brain, death
is canceled for you. Your old age is over. You stop aging.
Stay bright and interesting. Have you read poetry aloud?
Try it! And suddenly discover something for yourself. And you suddenly change in
all respects, you start speaking with an actor
’
s voice, you go to dances unexpectedly,
someone to salsa, someone to flamenco, you go to amazing places that you have not
visited before.
Around you is now a different world. Drop everything that was associated with
tedious monotonous work. Now you have got happy years, let it be five, ten, fifteen,
twenty years. Live and you won
’
t get sick.
The most important thing is self-communication. Self-meditation, self-love. The
older you are, the more you love yourself. Love yourself, get up from the couch not to
reach the nearest chair, but to make a joke. In order to rejoice, oh, what buds, oh, what a
rain, try to draw, you don
’
t know what you can do, buy watercolors, paints, maybe you
are not Levitan, but an abstractionist.
Once you start wondering, you get younger.
What is old age? It is the inability to be surprised.
If you don
’
t look at the world with the blue eyes of a surprised person, if you say to
yourself: “It’
s all over, everything is in the past, nodiv will tell me anything new, nodiv
will open anything new to me, everyone is stupid, and youth is not like that, and middle
age, everyone is not like that, I am like this, I am like that” that’
s all old age. When you say
that the grass was greener, this is old age.
It is necessary to prolong life so that the soul constantly receives nourishment
from the great culture, music. For many, this will sound empty, because many do not
know this. And if a person suddenly discovers for himself the beautiful music of great
composers, learns to listen, understand and feel, this immediately prolongs life
automatically.
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Because these signals come from eternity, which means that immortality is serious,
believe me, and that soul that has not matured in the div, and the div has destroyed it,
it may not be immortal.
Immortality must be earned.”
To date, we can say that the model of obtaining education by persons of the third
age, which implement various universities, is well established. There are numerous
studies of the “third age”, the position of universities in relation to the education of
people of the “third age” and t
he specifics of educational programs for the elderly in
different countries of the world. The biological and psychological reasons for the return
of people of the “third age” to education are investigated. Studies have found that the
more active, sociable, healthier and more educated older people are, the less burden they
represent for the family and society, because the involvement of older people in social
affairs, study and leisure has a positive effect on their mental and physical health [11] .
In most parts of the world, Third Age universities are an established reality.
Classical universities of the world, in accordance with the goals, objectives and mission of
the concept of continuous education, have in their academic structure a sector aimed at
meet
ing the educational needs of people of the “third age”. This is due to the rather rapid
aging of the population and the presence of legislative acts, thanks to which universities
were forced to open their doors to older citizens. The programs offered by universities
for people of the “third age” are aimed at maintaining their active life position and
physical health in the first place.
Let us consider in more detail the features of the Universities of the Third Age,
educational courses that are offered for the elderly in various countries. First of all, it is
worth noting that there are two models of how education for third-age people is
organized, namely the “French model”, which involves the creation of classes or courses
for older people on the basis of local universities with the allocation of state funds for
this. This model has become widespread in Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and many
other countries of Western and Central Europe.
There is another model, called the British one; its creators, a group of historians
and sociologists from the University of Cambridge, proposed in the early 1980s. to create
a volunteer organization based on the principle of self-help and self-organization, the
peculiarity of the British model is that it proceeds from the position of the theory of
geragogy that older people have psychological and mental characteristics. According to
the British model, members of the volunteer community must themselves create interest
groups, provide their homes for classes, act as either organizers or simply learners, and
sometimes as teachers. The groups are completely autonomous from each other, they are
not managed or controlled by anyone except their creators and members, and each
member of the group pays a small annual fee. The British model of teaching people of the
third age is being implemented in the UK itself, as well as in countries such as Australia
and New Zealand [12].
Summing up all of the above, lifelong learning is an opportunity for the
comprehensive development of an individual and a way to promote the development of
society as a whole. The key idea is the ability of absolutely any person to learn, develop
their capabilities, acquire new knowledge, skills and abilities, regardless of age. Such an
approach promotes career advancement, demand, self-realization and personal growth,
allows you to feel in demand, promotes not only social integration and an active
citizenship, but also financial stability, as well as competitiveness and employment
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opportunities in any age. And also, lifelong learning helps psychological and intellectual
health. The human brain develops and is in good shape only with regular training. It is
worth throwing loads, as intelligence decreases, interest in the new disappears, age-
related diseases and degradation occur. Lifelong learning provides intellectual longevity
and a good psycho-emotional tone.
Thus, education is now recognized by society as an essential strategy for the
development of people in the third age and a way to ensure a successful, independent,
productive later life.
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