How to alleviate "a hard-to-find one" for senior colleges
The annual Double Ninth Festival has just passed, let us focus our attention on the students of the "elderly university".
On the one hand, there is a long queue for registration, and on the other hand, the students do not want to graduate.
"I can't extricate myself from being addicted to study" and "I just want to study and don't want to graduate" are true portrayals of many senior college students.
A variety of courses and activities have filled the "spiritual empty nest" of the elderly, and colleges for the elderly have become a source of happiness in their lives.
Providing for the elderly, being dependent, having fun, and having peace is an important part of building a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way in our country.
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that it is necessary to "allow all elderly people to have a happy and happy old age. To meet the multifaceted needs of the large number of elderly people, and to properly solve the social problems brought about by the aging population is related to the overall development of the country and the people. Well-being requires our great efforts to deal with it." With the improvement of the people's living standards, the demand for education for the elderly continues to rise, and news of "a hard-to-find college for the elderly" has been reported frequently.
How does the elderly education, which integrates learning and training, temperament, and communication and entertainment, find its own position, and how to crack the "one is hard to find"?
Reporters were investigated.
Last name "Old" or "Jiao"
In 1983, the country's first senior university was opened in Shandong.
After 38 years of development, as of now, there are 62,000 colleges and universities for the elderly in all levels and types across the country, with 8.14 million students.
The university for the elderly has gone through a process of development and growth from the initial leisure and entertainment to classroom teaching.
Tianjin University for the Elderly is the largest university for the elderly in the country. 27,300 students can choose to take 360 courses with 760 teaching classes and 383 teachers.
Vice President Li Hongfen introduced that the curriculum setting of Tianjin University for the Elderly is based on the actual needs of each period and organizes management and teaching in accordance with the rules of teaching and the school.
Going to the hospital, going to the bank, and registering are inseparable from electronic screens, and electronic payments are required to buy things in supermarkets, so that the elderly can adapt to the rapid development of society and become a "rigorous need" for the curriculum of senior colleges.
Yu Yuling, a teacher of the Computer Department of Tianjin University for the Elderly, worked at the Tianjin Information Center before retiring.
Elderly people who came to class told her that children always have no time and impatience to teach themselves to use mobile phones and computers.
"Elderly people have inconvenience in their legs and feet, and it is very difficult to go shopping in the mall. How to register online, browse the web, select products, purchase, how to track orders, after-sales, return and exchange, it is very important for them to teach these things." Yu Yuling said.
Piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, blowing, playing, playing and singing, dance and opera, and art education are the basic projects of the university for the elderly. Low fees and abundant choices have attracted a large number of students.
The hardest course to grab at Tianjin University for the Elderly is piano lessons.
“Here, you only need to pay 780 yuan for 90 lessons, which is much more affordable than studying outside, and it is especially suitable for the elderly.” said Lu Hongyi, a teacher of the music department.
"Old-age education is a different kind of education. There is no requirement for a diploma or a compulsory promotion. It is neither purely for learning skills, nor is it mainly for graduation, let alone seeking employment. Obviously, elderly education and What we usually call traditional education, formal education, and academic education are far from the same thing. At the same time, entering the old age, college for the elderly is also one of the ways to support the elderly and support the elderly." Li Hongfen said.
Beijing Dongcheng University for the Aged currently has 49 classes with more than 4,000 students.
President Yang Shuzhang introduced that the school is currently the only senior university in Beijing under the charge of the Education Commission system.
"We especially emphasize compliance with the laws of education, not just entertainment. Therefore, we clearly propose the characteristics of running a school based on quietness, that is, focusing on calligraphy, painting, literature, and photography, and do professional things to make students really rewarding."
"The surname of the university for the elderly is both "old" and "teacher"." Zhang Xiaolin, president of the China Association of Senior Universities, told reporters that under the new development situation, strengthening the work of senior universities also has the meaning of "re-socialization".
"Helping the elderly learn new knowledge and master new skills, so that they can integrate into modern life and mainstream society, is a compulsory course for the elderly to keep up with the new era." He said.
One is hard to find, where is the crux
According to incomplete statistics from the China Association of Aging, the elderly who regularly participate in educational activities in various forms account for about 5% of the total elderly population.
The "Elderly Education Development Plan (2016-2020)" issued by the State Council proposes that by 2020, "the elderly who regularly participate in educational activities in various forms will account for more than 20% of the total elderly population."
The reporter learned that the organization of senior citizens’ universities is relatively broad, ranging from senior associations to local organization departments, to universities, enterprises, and neighborhoods. However, because studying in senior colleges has become a source of happiness in life, studying for more than ten years is still a source of happiness. There are not a few who have not graduated, and the increase in degree expansion is still far from the needs of the elderly.
Zhou Zhijun, a teacher in the Calligraphy Department of Tianjin University for the Elderly, told reporters that an old couple registered for the photography class for three consecutive semesters, but they were not in the queue. Finally, they attended the calligraphy class.
"We adopt the online course selection method, and many popular courses are emptied in three minutes."
A similar situation also exists in Beijing Dongcheng University for the Elderly.
"We restrict one person to more than three classes, so that the allocation of places is more reasonable." Deputy principal Guo Baochan said frankly that due to his reputation, the supply of degrees is still in short supply, and currently only priority can be given to retirees in Dongcheng District.
Li Hongfen told reporters that Tianjin University for the Elderly has 3 teaching buildings with a total area of 15,700 square meters, all of which are used for teaching, and there are no other venues for activities.
"Some colleges for the elderly have the function of an activity center for veterans. We don't have it. The scale is stable and it is unlikely to expand." The reporter saw that there are classrooms everywhere in the school, and the administrative and office rooms are small, and many teachers are crowded. In a house.
A senior university president told reporters that it is not easy to establish a new senior university: “At present, functional departments such as culture, tourism, education, and industry and commerce each have a part of their functions. According to industry, it is the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and according to lifelong learning, it is the Ministry of Education. The result of crossover of several parties is difficult to approve."
In addition to space and approval, teachers and funding issues are also very important.
According to Yang Jianguo, vice president of Beijing Dongcheng University for the Elderly, about one-half of the school’s expenditures depend on financial allocations, and the tuition fee of 300 yuan per course per semester is not enough to cover the cost.
"Many neighborhood-run colleges for the elderly are free of tuition, so education for the elderly is a public welfare undertaking throughout the country."
According to Zhou Suqiong, president of the University for the Elderly in Shuangliu District, Chengdu, there are 13 universities for the elderly in Shuangliu District, which are managed by districts and towns (sub-districts).
In accordance with the principle of who runs the school, who is responsible and who pays the money, each town (sub-district) will invest financially, and the district senior university will provide unified business guidance.
The District Senior College is affiliated to the Civil Affairs Bureau and is a public institution fully allocated by the government.
"From the district/county level to the sub-districts, there are committees (offices) for the elderly, and the attention of the district committees and governments makes the financial connection smooth."
Local retired teachers and cultural and sports professionals, postgraduates from the Art School of Southwest University for Nationalities, and the education service company affiliated to the China Conservatory of Music have become the three pillars of senior education in Shuangliu District.
"In addition to discovering the strength of retired elderly people, young professional teachers are also very popular with the elderly." Zhou Suqiong said that the school is the practice base of the Art College of Southwest University for Nationalities. Graduate students can earn about 130 yuan in half a day to teach.
The education service company affiliated with the China Conservatory of Music, on the other hand, purchases services from the school, and purchases the teaching of Erhu, Dizi, Pipa, Guzheng and other courses at a class fee of 200 yuan.
Liu Jiantong, former deputy director of the Department of Vocational Education of the Ministry of Education, said that China’s elderly education still has insufficient resource supply, unbalanced development between urban and rural areas and regions, insufficient guarantee mechanisms, departmental coordination urgently needs to be strengthened, and the depth and breadth of social forces’ participation needs to be further expanded, etc. problem.
The reporter learned that as the problem of "a hard-to-find one" has gained social attention, more and more entities of all levels and types have opened senior-age universities. Among them, government agencies, colleges and universities, especially the streets, have the greatest strength, and online education has also expanded senior education. Coverage.
During the epidemic, Beijing Dongcheng University for the Elderly began to explore online teaching. At present, all offline courses have been moved online through 5 live broadcast rooms.
"The advantage of online is that we can take classes in excess of class size and allow more elderly people to sign up. But after the epidemic, we are still ready to switch back to the main offline channel." Guo Baochan said, "As a university for the elderly, knowledge transfer is only one aspect. The most important thing is interaction. It is equally important to create meeting opportunities and a communication environment for the elderly. Perhaps what many students look forward to most every week is to meet with their partners, go shopping in shops and restaurants after class." Under the premise of epidemic prevention and control, the school resumed one-third of the students to attend offline classes and take turns to school.
How to improve the quality
A questionnaire survey conducted by Beijing Dongcheng University for the Elderly found that the current trainees are quite different from those ten years ago.
"98% of the current trainees have a college degree or above, the knowledge level has improved, and the average age has also been reduced by 5 years. The syllabus and teaching materials need to be revised to adapt to this change." Yang Jianguo introduced.
“Now the requirements of the elderly are getting higher and higher. One of the problems of traditional elderly education is that the planning is not strong, the execution is not strong, and the scattered learning is the same. For this reason, we have made great efforts in systematic construction. As an example, 10 semesters are divided from the shallower to the deeper. After 5 years of study, students can strengthen theoretically and gain real gains. Only the painting method of chrysanthemums should introduce the habits, varieties and masterpieces of different flower species. Learn thoroughly and deeply." Guo Baochan said.
"Management should also be refined. We have clear regulations on the proportion of time for introducing new courses, reviewing homework, and answering questions. We will evaluate teachers accordingly. In order to promote business improvement, the establishment of calligraphy, landscape, flowers and birds, literature, and photography has been established. The teaching and research group implements two-level management. This year, a research institute was established to study the laws of senior education, summarize and develop curriculum and teaching materials. Our backbone teachers are all in their 70s or 80s. We must do a good job in teaching, basically, We must act in accordance with the laws of education."
Learning and teaching, learning and then teaching, doing their best to serve the society can inspire students' sense of honor, pride and participation.
According to Du Ge, a teacher of the Department of Dance and Opera of Tianjin University for the Elderly, the school gives full play to its cultural and sports advantages. Students lead teams to participate in summer evenings, performances in orphanages, and participate in the development of entertainment and fitness activities for enterprises and institutions.
"By sending outstanding students as seed teachers, we can bring the services of the elderly university to more communities. Our dance team has also been invited to participate in performances at the National Grand Theater and CCTV many times."
Beginning in 2018, Beijing Dongcheng University for the Elderly started a trial of ideological and political courses, with 5 minutes before class, covering topics from current affairs learning, active ageing views to common legal issues.
"This kind of general education is equally important to the elderly. It conveys the country's latest care and assumes the function of re-socialization of the elderly." Guo Baochan said.
"University for the elderly is the end of lifelong education. As the general secretary said, there must be achievements, progress, and happiness." Yang Shuzhang said.
(Reporter Liu Bochao Ren Huan)