U3A Presentation By Helene Dooley Researcher 27 September 2011 Venue: The Chester Beatty Library, Dublin Castle, Ireland
Origins of the Third Age • Recent phenomenon led by demographic and sociological changes (c. 1950) • Prior to this, adults moved from the second age of caring to the fourth age of dependency; • A combination of compulsory retirement , pensions and increased longevity resulted in the great majority of older people in industrialized countries spending many healthy active and potentially self-fulfilling years in the Third Age ;
Longevity Revolution Global Population – Aged 80+ years 1950 – 14 million Today – 300 million Japanese centenarians 1963 – 154 2000 – 13,000 Projected (2050) – 1 million Life Expectancy within the UK is increasing by 2 years for each decade that passes (source: Age Concern UK)
Longevity Revolution Irish Life Expectancy 1926 2006 Males 57.4 years 76.8 years (+33.8%) Females 57.9 years 81.6 years (+40.8%) (Source: CSO)
The Birth of the U3A - timeline 1968: Legislation passed in France requiring universities to provide more community education; 1973: Toulouse University of Social Sciences ran a gerontology course aimed exclusively at local retired people. This led to the formation of the first U3A; 1975: concept had spread to other French universities as well as universities in Belgium, Switzerland, Poland, Italy, Spain and across the Atlantic to Quebec and California;
U3A timeline (cont.) 1975 : AIUTA formed; 1981 : AIUTA had a membership of more than 170 institutions; 1981: U3A came to the UK and a new model U3A emerged; 1984 : U3A began in Melbourne, Australia; 1990s : Following end of Cultural revolution U3A’s take off in China ; 2000 : U3A launched in Cape Town 2000 : Launch World U3A website ; 2005 : U3A launched in India; 2008 : U3A Alliance Australia formed; 2010: Asia Pacific Alliance formed.
U3A Philosophy To provide affordable learning opportunities for older people, using the skills and abilities of the members themselves; Those who learn shall teach and those who teach shall learn , and there shall be no distinction between the two. There shall be no qualifications for membership , and no awards, degrees or diplomas shall be given. The emphasis shall be on learning for the love of it , and shall include an emphasis on the values of making things and improving skills of all kinds. Learning shall take place in a friendly, supportive, social environment Those joining a U3A shall pay for its upkeep . There shall be no payment to any person (member or non-member) for teaching or providing a service to members except in the case of reimbursement for such expenses as travel, photocopying, etc. The curriculum of a U3A shall be determined by the needs/preferences of its members and according to the resources available to it. To be at all times, non-political and non-sectarian in our approach.
U3A principle models – a comparison UK Model French Model (University based): • • Tertiary based ; Autonomy within each U3A unit , each run by a democratically • No entry requirements/no elected committee of members; examinations ; • No entry requirements, no • Originally open lectures and exams ; negotiated access to established • university courses; No distinction between the teachers and the taught; • Members now play a greater part • in the choice and range of Members act as both teachers activities ; and learners; • • Funding varies – some receive Members decide format and direct financial subsidies, some content; largely university funded, some • Minimal membership fees; funded on a sliding scale, • Negotiable curriculum depending on participants’ assets .
The World Tour!
U3A Ireland Roscara U3A Monaghan U3A Active Virginians U3A http://www.ageaction.ie/lifelong-learning-u3a
U3A Sutton Baldoyle working on the Intergenerational Learning Project at Dublin City University, Ireland Planned Activities for this winter (2011) include: • Presentation on the whole philosophy behind Fingal Age Friendly County ; • A visit to Dunsink Observatory ; • Talk on Heraldry ;
U3A (UK) • Based on self‐help educational groups; • Independent U3As following common aims; • 774 groups (2010 figures); • By 2011 this had grown to 820 groups ; • National affiliation to Third Age Trust; • Policy and educational support from centre; • Trustees elected on a regional basis; • Development objectives are agreed at regional level; • Local collaboration in networks (Source: Ian Funnell Third Age Trust, UK Member of Fetcham & Guildford U3As)
Most Popular Interest Groups (South East Region) • Art Appreciation • Painting • Bridge • Poetry • Current Affairs • Gardening • Family History • Scrabble • Literature • History • Music Appreciation • Walking (Source: Ian Funnell Third Age Trust, UK Member of Fetcham & Guildford U3As)
More Specialised Interest Groups in the South East Region • Archery • Meteorology • Cinema History • Music Theory • Finance • Myths • Golf • Parenting for Grandparents • Hand bells • Self Defence • Mathematics (Source: Ian Funnell Third Age Trust, UK Member of Fetcham & Guildford U3As)
Study Days in 2010 (UK South East Region) • The Operas of Puccini • Georgian Britain • The Caucasus ‐ Old Rivalries & New Opportunities • British Naval History from 1066 to 2003 • 2000 Years of London and its People • The History & Literature of the Anglo‐Saxon Period • Some 19th Century Novelists & Their Readers • Music & Friendship • The Geology of Britain (Source: Ian Funnell Third Age Trust, UK Member of Fetcham & Guildford U3As)
Exchange Visit English U3A and Japan 2009
U3A Osaka, Japan Course Schedule for September 2011
U3A in Europe • Generally the U3A’s are linked to Universities; • In Austria, it appears that the U3As are associations of older university students (only qualified older students can participate in the normal academic programme (1994 – no up to date data available); • Spanish, Italian and Portuguese U3As are a mix of university-led and community based; • UK – autonomous units 2011 820 groups with 272k members; • Ireland - 14 autonomous groups (Age Action) throughout Ireland (no mapping carried out to date).
Examples of EU funded U3A projects Senior Education and Training Internet Platform (SETIP) is multilateral Grundtvig project focusing senior´s ICT literacy ; • SETIP project is based on the experience of U3A in four European countries : the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Spain and Portugal ; • SETIP project objectives was to contribute to the seniors ´ ICT literacy and to create the base for virtual U3A . There are a series of courses available at this point for the recipient countries including: • Ethical issues of today; • Late Medieval Europe; • Digital Photography; • English for Students
Examples of EU funded U3A projects • Sentrain – training ICT Trainers of U3A members, Demonstration of Video conferencing and Databases for U3A members. U3A Cyprus; • Cultural exchange between Poland and Perth in 2010/11 • Stories of a Possible Europe ” theme of inter-cultural dialogue in Europe, through Story-telling. (http://www.possible-europe.eu/The-project )
EKWALS Project • An EU Grundtvig project which targets Ageing Knowledge Workers within the age bracket 45-64 . This is a group who prior to this were basically protected from economic downturns. • It analyses the specific needs of this target group and particularly their interest in Lifelong Learning; • The aim of the project is to make Lifelong Learning more attractive to ageing knowledge workers, to help them upgrade their qualifications, and to assist them re-enter the job market or advance as self entrepreneurs. • With an ageing population, the EU are continually seeking to engage with Third Age people and their involvement in Lifelong Education and are constantly seeking progressive ideas from projects such as EKWALS .
Inter-generational Skills Exchange Project (part-funded by EU and British Council) Learn with Grandma and Grandpa
Zelenogorsk, Central Siberia • Krasnoyarsk 45 (Zelenogorsk) cannot be found on any Russian map (or Google Earth for that matter!) • The town is a ‘ child of the cold war ’ constructed around an electro -chemical plant built in 1956 in the middle of Siberia on the banks of the River Kan; • The town now produces uranium for atomic power stations; • The average age of the town is now under 30 years ; • U3A Zelenogorsk was founded with the support of the local authorities in 2000 and currently has a membership of around 150 who attend courses in 7 Departments: Law, Healthy Way of life, Cultural Values, Home Academy, Computers, Psychology and International Projects. • Always delighted with contact from other U3As!
Recommend
More recommend
