Healthy Ageing and Lifelong Learning in Hong Kong

By 2030, the older population is expected to outnumber children under the age of 10 and now ageing population remains a fundamental and major worldwide challenge for the more developed economies. It has been nearly 20 years since the World Health Organization (WHO) developed the active ageing and healthy ageing policy frameworks that aim to optimise ‘opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age’. It has aroused the attention of policymakers to adopt relevant action plans to promote active ageing. Lifelong learning is one of the ways to facilitate older adults to stay engaged, healthy and secure in the society and has been proved to help to maintain quality of life in the physical, mental and social health aspects. In the physical aspects, some studies have shown that many elders are distracted from their chronic conditions by taking part in various activities, which might have resulted in the delay of physical deterioration. In addition, wider benefits of lifelong learning have been found in the mental and social context. Several studies have combined these two as psychological well-being in lifelong learning. The opportunity to further engage in education allows older adults to develop new skills and confidence which in turn helps them to stay connected with the community and enhance community well-being. The benefits of lifelong education among older adults can help them to achieve healthy ageing and to age with dignity. This chapter lists out the advantages of lifelong education to older adults and the current education policy for older learners in Hong Kong. Taking a group of senior citizens who studied a diploma as an example, new insights are drawn and limitations and future opportunities are evaluated.