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ELDERLY PEOPLE IN THE SYSTEM OF ACADEMIC EDUCATION
B. Kromolicka
In the academic society, there is a specific approach to the educational activity of seniors as potential students. At the example of University of Szczecin, which is open for this specific group of students, we can see that in the system of lifelong learning a new element is evolving - university level education for seniors.
Key words: higher education, academic environment, older people (seniors), education in humanities.
Learning to be - that is the main idea of Edgar Faure’s report, published in 1972 in UNESCO materials. Recommendations presented therein are still relevant, and became the basis for subsequent reports, including the following: The White Book (1995) entitled “Education and teaching. On the way to a society of students”; the famous report of the International Commission of Education for the XXI century prepared by Jacques Delors for UNESCO in 1996, entitled “Learning: The Treasure Within.” In the final thesis of White Book, we read: “The world is now going through a phase of radical changes. Everything leads us to the fact that European society, like any other, is entering a new era - undoubtedly more active and unpredictable than the previous one”; “Education and improvement are an essential reference point for making a complete individual and social identity, thereby ensuring progress in the field of technology and knowledge”; “The formation of the society of progress (...) will become possible when we create a society of students (...) capable of simultaneously modifying the essence of things at the world (global) level and at the same time becoming fully aware of its own nature.”1. These ideas are especially emphasized in the next report, the Delors’ report, which focused on the fact that the primary responsibility for creating the community of learners lies on education - “the creative education that forms a new creative spirit.”2 It entails the well-known postulates of the report: learning to know; learning to act; learning to be. On the other hand, with such direction of the educational process, the main goal should be the “Europe of Knowledge”, generally accepted as an indispensable element of the consolidation and enrichment of European identity, giving Europeans citizens the skills needed to meet the requirements of the new millennium, for the construction of shared values, and the definition of socio-cultural identity.
The main problem of the modern educational process is undoubtedly a priority of a liberal education of a person - no matter at what stage of ontogenetic development he is. The time allotted to someone for education should serve his improvement in the broadest sense. As shown by Zygmunt Lomny, “Humanity is
1 Nauczanie i uczenie si$. Na drodze do ucz^cego si$ spoteczenstwa.// Обучение и учение. На пути к обществу учащихся. [W:] Biata Ksi^ga.// Белая Книга. Wyd. WSP TWP, Warszawa 1997, s.77, 78.
2 J. Delors. Edukacja. Jest w niej ukryty skarb. // Образование: сокрытое сокровище. UNESCO 1998, s.18.
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making too little effort to improve its personality. Protection of man’s universe must be stronger, and it should be urgently expanded. You cannot lose this battle.”1 Thus, in the process of improvement of man, special responsibility rests with the higher education institutions in which the understanding of the value of education is very high. In an academic society, the importance of people’s activities, the release of their hidden vital energy, the role of creating an environment and positive experience, the striving to ensure sustainability by enhancing the different needs, and as a result, the desire to create a basis for independent thinking, selfeducation, self-development and the activity as such.
Over recent years, the educational offerings of universities shifted to enroll elderly people and people of retirement age as students. These usually enthusiastic people are ready for new challenges. The perfectly developing third-age universities do not fully meet the needs of an increasingly active group of senior citizens that are seeking and ready for new beginnings. In this regard, an interesting direction for the development of universities is formed, open for this specific group of students. In Poland, the Third Age University is developing extremely rapidly, and given that the demographics indicate that in this age group there is not expected to experience lack of students, the educational offerings become even more varied and interesting.
In the context of the issue considered, the University of Szczecin can share an interesting experience. Already for two years, Szczecin Humanitarian University for seniors has functioned in its structure (in Polish - Seniora). Szczecin Humanitarian University for seniors (in Polish - SHUS) was established by the Board of the Faculty of Humanities in 2014, which imparted its scientific character onto the initiative, and legitimized its existence within the academic community. Dissemination of information about the University for elderly people or seniors passed through a special section of the site of humanitarian faculty www.shus.whus.pl, as well as through popular social portals. The full-time students involved in the action dedicated to the promotion of a new educational initiative has prepared the data for a Facebook page created, thereby focusing on young Internet users. In such an extraordinary and fun way, the students offered young Internet users the chance to get their relatives of retirement age interested in the educational offer.
Created within the framework of the project, the brochures were handed over directly to the elderly, and the informational posters were hung in public places. Radio Szczecin released information reports devoted to the opening of a new internal university. Additionally, the Open Day of SHUS was organized, where retirees could get free expert advice from different fields of knowledge - from lawyers, psychologists, geriatricians, social workers, nutritionists, police officers, and representatives of the Council for pensioners. During the greeting, each participant received a flower made by students of the science club on social
1 tomny Z., W kierunku edukacji planetarnej. // На пути к мировому (планетарному) образованию [w:] Edukacja wobec wyzwan XXI wieku. (red.) I. Wojnar, J. Kubin, Warszawa 1996, s.341-386. Kromolicka B., Spoteczno-zawodowa rola pracownika socjalnego. Studium z pedagogiki spotecznej. // Общественно-профессиональная роль социального работника. Szczecin 2002, s. 35.
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gerontology. The specially created commission, composed of scientists of the Institute of Pedagogy, recruited the students.
Among the main objectives of SHUS, the following deserve particular attention: (a) promotion of knowledge of different areas of Humanities and Social Sciences; (b) comprehensive revitalization of elderly people, encouraging personal intellectual and physical development of the elderly; (c) spread of gerontological prevention and improvement of the quality of life of elderly people; (d) creation of social capital and formation of public trust; (e) inclusion of older people in continuing education to the needs of the labor market; (f) social activation of the elderly: the development of voluntary workers and self-help ideas, and promotion of the idea of inter-generational solidarity, creating the necessary conditions for inter-generational integration; (g) use of the concept of mentoring the young generation in the educational process (use of the potential of older people in different spheres of life); (h) conducting research with and on the initiative of the elderly; (i) the integration and strengthening of the UTW network in the region as part of the Flying University for the Humanities for Elderly people (FUHE / LHUS).
SHUS participants are elderly people who, seeking their place in life again, for which the pension is not tantamount to dismissal, but rather the opposite - is perceived as a time, which should fill in something worthwhile, new tasks aimed for example, at their own development.
The activity of this extraordinary university is maintained through the project of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, entitled “Education of elderly people” (“Edukacja do pot^gi Senior”). Under the project, the following lectures and thematic workshops have been held: “Time Travel”, sociology, neurodidaktik in education of elderly people, history, safety in a crisis situation, personal safety for elderly people, photography, informatics for the elderly, and more. The educational process for the elderly focuses on activities in the field of the voluntary worker. The training program included lectures on preparation for participation in voluntary service, and active assistance to the elderly and seminars: “Pensioners for pensioners”; “Pensioners for pensioners in hospices"; “Prepare for old age” -workshops for young retirees; “Become a mentor”; seminars for fans of free time (60+); workshops with voluntary work - participation of pensioners in action “teddy bear”. The curriculum of SHUS also includes a course on general improvement -fitness, seminars on yoga, Nordic walking and the University pensioner jogging. An additional feature of the educational program is the development of interests and hobbies of the elderly. In this regard, for retired people, lectures on cinematography, theatrical performance skills, fine arts, photography and cooking have been organized. The main purpose of these lectures is capturing events and traditions, that is, the material heritage of this generation.
The results of SHUS exceed the wildest expectations of the organizers. Pensioners perceive with great enthusiasm and dedication the preparation and organization of classes, bringing in the process their personal experience that certainly emphasizes the special importance and value of education throughout life.
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