The document summarizes a symposium on learning in later life and for an aging society, highlighting the potential benefits of education as people age. It discusses barriers that have prevented education from being appreciated for older adults and actions taken to address this. The symposium aims to stimulate discussion on improving access to education for older people and better connecting policy, research, and the voices of older learners.

1. IFA 11th Global Conference on
Ageing
Prague 2012.
Access to knowledge, education and
training
Jim Soulsby

2. Learning the lessons: education in
later life & for an ageing society: -
This symposium wishes to highlight & stimulate: -
• the potential for later life learning & access to
education as integral & key elements of all ageing
strategies
• what can be achieved by highlighting what has already
been undertaken in policies, actions and research;
• a better understanding of some of the barriers that
have prevented education for an ageing society being
better appreciated, understood and adopted and
actions that have been undertaken to remedy this.
•

3. We live in a world where: -
• education is still mainly viewed as an activity for children and not
of value to all adults throughout their lives
•there is a lack of research and researchers about the proven value
of later life learning
•there is a lack of dialogue between those within education and
those concerned with health, well-being, active ageing and welfare
of older people whether this is policy makers, academic researchers,
those who interface with or represent older people and even among
older people themselves.
•there is a need for a better interface between policy, practice,
research and the voices of older people in the field of later life
education
We therefore need to rethink how we reach older people, how we
teach them and what we encourage them to learn.

4. Our speakers
• Dr Franz Kolland, University of Vienna, Austria
• Thandiwe Yeni, Muthande Society, Durban South
Africa
• Martina Ni Cheallaigh, DG Education & Culture,
European Commission, Brussels, Belgium
• Dr Gulnara Minnigaleeva, National Research
University Higher School of Economics, Moscow,
Russia
• Yue Ying, Hubei Provincial University of Elderly
People, China (Poster presentation only)

5. Are you involved in later life learning?
AEA is an international membership organisation open
to all. Its strength lies in combining the interests of
research, practice & policy concerning later life learning.
www.associationforeducationandageing.org

7. International Journal of Education &
Ageing
• It brings together, in a critical and accessible
manner, the best of international research,
scholarship and practice in later life learning.
• The journal should be essential reading for all
those engaged in the study of learning in later
life and/or in fields of practice that contribute
to it.
• www.associationforeducationandageing.org

9. The network for Later- Life Learning: -
• Connects later - life learning ideas, projects,
policy, research & the voices of older learners
• Promotes an integrated & coherent approach
for future policy & practice
• Develops dialogue with key national, regional
& European stakeholders concerning all
aspects of later life learning
• www.foragenetwork.eu

10. Contacts
• ForAge Jo Leadbetter, University of Leicester
E-mail: - jl172@leicester.ac.uk
• Association for Education & Ageing and
International Journal for Education & Ageing.
E-mail: - sasha.anderson75@gmail.com
• Other matters. E-mail: -
jim.soulsby@btinternet.com