The southeast corner of Weigong Village in Beijing is the location of the National University for the Elderly. On the route from Shuangjing to Weigongcun, Xiong Yingjin after retirement has to walk once a Friday, even if he crosses half of Beijing. Because on this day, she can "fully enjoy her time" without housekeeping.
What do you learn in the university for the elderly, which courses are the most popular, and what do the elderly value the most? In the past half a month, the reporter has traveled to many universities for the elderly to observe the learning status of the elderly, discuss the difficulties they face with the teachers of the school, and try to tell the stories in the universities for the elderly.
Thirst for new things, more eager for companionship
In March this year, based on the national open university system, the national university for the elderly was officially established.
When the reporter visited the National University for the Elderly, it was raining lightly in the sky. The lobby on the first floor is full of people, and the elevator has to wait two wheels to go up. In the elevator, students from the University of the Elderly greeted each other and discussed the completion of "homework". A student in a blue coat walked out of the elevator and happened to run into the teacher and said to the teacher, "But you have to tell us a few more times, I can't remember." ”
The classrooms of the University for the Elderly are located on the fifth, sixth and seventh floors. The first floor is nearly 100 meters long, dance studios, painting studios and other types of classrooms are arranged on both sides, the teaching area has been transformed to adapt to aging, and there are handrails in toilets and rest places. The classrooms are small, but they are all modern.
Movable chairs are placed in the classroom, and two TV screens are hung in the middle, so that students sitting in the back can see clearly.
This is Xiong Ying's third year at the University for the Elderly. This time, she signed up for two classes, freehand landscape painting and photography, "I finally grabbed a spot, and my sisters envied me."
"Drawing bamboo, there are also rules, pay attention to the density and depth, and the height is staggered." Ma Enfu, a teacher of calligraphy and painting at the National University for the Elderly, commented on the students' works last week.
About a dozen works, hung all over the window, light shines through the rice paper, the works are clearly written with pens and textures. Xiong Yingjin pointed to his classmate's works and told reporters: "Teacher Ma's comments are very objective, whether you have a foundation or not, he encourages everyone to write more." ”
Under the podium, some students were taking notes, some raised their mobile phones to record videos, and some students asked questions about the way to use pens, and even how to choose paper and ink, and the atmosphere was relaxed.
There were about 20 trainees at the bottom, sitting full, including many old people with gray hair.
At the end of this lesson, Ma Enfu taught on the spot and demonstrated the drawing of plum blossoms and peonies. The students were immersed in it, and after 20 minutes of "dragging the hall", they were still unsatisfied. After class, the two students quickly walked up to the podium, and after discussing with the teacher, borrowed the two works and went home to copy.
One class at the University for the Elderly lasts about 90 minutes. One lesson in the morning and one in the afternoon, with a relaxed time. The students chatted and rested in the corridor between classes, and the atmosphere was harmonious.
The course schedule on the day of the reporter's visit is as follows: the beginner class of camera photography skills, the intermediate class of freehand flower and bird painting, the beginner class of tai chi fan in the morning, and the beginner class of portrait photography skills, the trend handicraft and cultural creativity class, the primary vocal music and the modeling beginner class in the afternoon.
Wang Yu, a faculty member of the National University for the Elderly, suggested that reporters come back on Monday to experience, "That day's class was more fun, there were mobile phone short video production and smart phone applications, and some of the content was broadcast live online." ”
Wang Yu is a teacher of mobile phone short video production, "The content should be simplified as much as possible and teach them to operate more times." To put yourself in another position, to be patient and meticulous, to be slow and methodical, this is a communication skill when dealing with the elderly."
During the lunch break, a white-haired grandmother wanted Wang Yu to see why the short video on his mobile phone could not be saved. Wang Yu spent about ten minutes to help her solve it, and the old man put the mobile phone firmly into his small satchel and walked out of the office satisfied.
"They need companionship more than learning one or two skills to use their phones." In Wang Yu's class, there was an 89-year-old student, "He can keep up with the teaching progress, and he completes every task well." ”
In the National University for the Elderly, students embrace new things, learn new knowledge, and have fun.
Schools run by diverse social forces, the curriculum is not "old"
In 2016, the General Office of the State Council issued the "Development Plan for Education for the Elderly (2016-2020)", which proposed that by 2020, cities above the county level in the country should have at least one university for the elderly in principle.
According to the China Association of Universities for the Elderly, as of April 2023, there have reached 4,7 universities (schools) at all levels in the country, and more than 6 million students have participated in the study. A five-level school-running network system has been formed at the provincial, municipal, county, township (street) and village (community) levels.
At present, the main body of China's education for the elderly includes party and government departments, open university system and community education system, full-time colleges and universities, state-owned enterprises and private enterprises, as well as social organizations and pension institutions.
On Wednesday, the reporter followed Xu Penghe, a volunteer from Chinese Minmin University, to a university for the elderly in a ministry and commission. This is the third time that Xu Penghe and his classmates have come to teach, and "the volunteers are willing to come."
This time, he taught the use of smartphones and told students how to book hotels using mobile phone apps. Xu Penghe said: "Most of the students can keep up with the rhythm, and when they encounter problems, they will also ask questions. ”
An eighty-year-old grandfather impressed Xu Penghe. The student sat in the front row each time, and for the second half of the lesson, he was still reviewing his previous content against his notes.
The reporter's investigation found that the number of universities for the elderly supported by diversified school-running bodies is huge, but the number of students that can be accommodated is still limited. The gap between resource supply and market demand also provides opportunities for social institutions to establish training courses for the elderly.
At a private university for the elderly near Daguanying, Beijing, the scene is equally hot.
Located on the 11th floor of an office building, the university for the elderly is bustling with activity in the afternoon before the modeling class begins. More than a dozen trainees, wearing white T-shirts, prepared for training. Almost at the same time, the sound of erhu was heard from another classroom, and seven or eight students were practicing with the teacher.
Admissions teacher Wen Yan (pseudonym) introduced that the institution's teachers are all graduates of professional colleges and provide more than 20 kinds of courses. Generally, the cost of 10 lessons is 1299 yuan, and the class capacity is 16 people. Wen Yan repeatedly stressed that "first come, first served".
"After soliciting many students' inputs, we are preparing to open more new classes." Wen Yan provided reporters with a new class schedule, in addition to traditional recitation, painting and dance courses, there are also courses such as "Peking Opera 10 Small Class", "Bamboo Flute Level <>" and "African Drum".
Many visitors were amazed that the university courses for the elderly were not "old" at all.
According to a survey, for course content (multiple choices), 76% of people choose recreational and leisure courses, about 30% choose life skills and health care courses, about 20% choose information technology, family life, civic literacy courses, and 4% choose diploma courses.
According to the "Report on the Development of Education for the Elderly in China (2019-2020)", the top ten courses for elderly students are: vocal music, choir, tai chi, photography, health preservation, piano, ethnic dance, Chinese painting, calligraphy, and fine arts.
"The curriculum of the University for the Elderly needs to be adapted to the characteristics of the elderly." Wang Min, vice president of Shanghai University for the Elderly, said, "We should pay attention to the interests and practical needs of the elderly, and set up courses involving the life, health care and social interaction of the elderly. The difficulty of the course should be moderate, the explanation method should be simple and easy to understand, and at the same time, modern information technology and elderly education should be deeply integrated as much as possible. ”
The curriculum at Shanghai University for the Elderly is basically stable, but fine-tuning has continued. In the March 2023 course, there are two public courses: "Although 'Internet celebrity' preparations are good, don't use them at will" and "Digital New Friends: Online Fraud Prevention".
Wang Min emphasized that in addition to suitability courses, the University for the Elderly should also set up some leading courses, closely combining national policies and social development trends, to help the elderly integrate into society through learning, keep up with the development of the times, and become active learners and healthy lifers.
Funding for running schools is constrained The level of teachers needs to be improved
The National University for the Elderly is second to none in terms of education and teaching, skills training, and social services, but it is difficult to represent the overall level of the country.
According to the article "Interprovincial Differences and Correlation Analysis of the Spatial Distribution of Universities for the Elderly in China" published in Adult Education in October 2022, there are more than 10 universities for the elderly in Jiangsu, Shandong, Sichuan and Shanghai, and the rest of the provinces and cities except Sichuan are located in the eastern coastal areas, with a total of 300 provinces below the average, and less than 19 universities for the elderly in Tibet, Ningxia, Hainan and Qinghai.
"The level of economic development and the distribution of the elderly group in the eastern and western regions are different, which is the root cause of the difference." Wang Min said that the needs and rights of the elderly in the western region cannot be ignored. The construction of universities for the elderly in the western region can be accelerated by increasing government investment and the participation of social organizations, and the advantages of distance education for the elderly should be given full play to the advantages of digital high-quality resources for elderly education in the eastern region to the western region.
But digital means are difficult to solve all problems. "In most areas, funding for universities for the elderly is facing constraints." Zhu Yaoyin, a professor at the China Institute of Education and Social Development of Beijing Normal University, has been studying geriatric education for many years. He concluded that the funding of the University for the Elderly presents the characteristics of "three more and three less": relatively large investment in economically developed areas and relatively little investment in less developed areas; There is relatively much investment in central cities and relatively little investment in remote areas; There is relatively much investment in educational institutions for the elderly at or above the county level, and relatively little in grassroots educational institutions for the elderly at the county level.
Zhu Yaoyin analyzed: "At present, the University for the Elderly does not have special financial funds, most of the educational institutions for the elderly do not have stable financial funding channels, and most of those with special funds for elderly education are coordinated in lifelong education, community education, and cadre education funds. The tuition fee standard of the university for the elderly is low, there are no subjects of elderly education in the fee catalog of the National Development and Reform Commission, and the fee standard per person and each course is generally between 100~200 yuan, and most of the popular courses are only 300 yuan. In addition, there are problems such as poor social donation channels. ”
"It is necessary to implement the expenditure responsibilities of all levels of finance." Zhu Yaoyan suggested that education for the elderly should be included in the national education system, the funds for running schools for the elderly and grassroots schools for the elderly should be included in the financial budget, special subjects for education for the elderly should be established, and the per capita allocation standard and annual increase rate should be determined, as well as the proportion of financial burden at all levels. At the same time, strengthen the integrated development of education for the elderly and community education, and rationally use the financial funds for grassroots party and mass work, community education, citizen activities, old-age services and people's livelihood practices for education for the elderly.
In Zhu Yaoyin's view, "it is necessary to expand the input of social capital resources." For private capital investment in the construction of universities for the elderly, treat them according to investment in public welfare undertakings, and explore corresponding incentive policies and effective ways of cooperation with the government."
"The development of market-oriented courses for the elderly is a useful supplement to the education of the elderly." Wu Yushao, deputy dean of the Institute of Aging of Fudan University, believes that market-oriented geriatric courses are more convenient and flexible, which can meet the needs of high-level and personalized geriatric education, and is conducive to solving the problems faced by geriatric education from multiple angles, channels and forms.
It is understood that the University for the Elderly mentioned above contacted teachers to teach everywhere, and finally found students from the Chinese University Volunteer Association. The two parties cooperated to set up online courses and received good feedback. As a result, offline teaching activities have also been launched.
In the process of interviewing, the reporter found that the teachers in various universities for the elderly are mainly part-time, volunteer services and full-time teachers account for only a small part, and teachers are a topic that universities for the elderly cannot avoid.
In March, when the National University for the Elderly was established, Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng said that ordinary colleges and vocational colleges should provide services for elderly education.
"Geriatric education is a more flexible type of education. If full-time teachers face difficulties, social resources should be developed, especially to attract volunteer resources to participate in them, and mobilize young, healthy, knowledgeable and cultural professionals to supplement the elderly teaching team. Wu Yushao said frankly.
"The channels of faculty should be broadened, and outstanding talents from all walks of life should be encouraged to teach or volunteer at universities for the elderly." Zhu Yaoyin suggested that in particular, in-service teachers at all levels and types of schools should be allowed and encouraged to teach part-time at the University for the Elderly without affecting their own work; College art and sports medical students are allowed to intern and teach at universities for the elderly without affecting their studies, and receive reasonable remuneration.
The National University for the Elderly is beginning to strengthen the construction and training of full-time and part-time teachers. Wang Yu introduced: "We will build a university for the elderly teacher pool, provide unified training, and gradually establish a set of access systems to gradually standardize the elderly education teaching team." The "Action Plan for Silver Aged Teachers" implemented by the National University for the Elderly is to encourage retired teachers, staff and cadres, old scientific and technological workers, skilled craftsmen, and professional students to participate in the teaching and management of the National University for the Elderly.
For the comprehensive improvement of the level of teachers for the elderly, Zhu Yaoyin suggested exploring the establishment of a certification and access system for teachers in education for the elderly, popularizing pre-job training, and strengthening training for university teachers for the elderly in geriatric education, psychology of the elderly, and teaching methods of teaching materials for the elderly. At the same time, it is necessary to enrich the teacher sharing and exchange platform, build a three-dimensional elderly education resource database, and include the elderly education teacher pool.
(Guangming Daily reporter Chen Peng, correspondent Ding Yiyuan)