From dance to IT - 400 free courses for seniors
Those aged 50 and above can join courses offered free till year end to celebrate SG50
By Yeo Sam Jo, The Sunday Times, 17 May 2015
Seniors itching to go back to school will get their chance this year, with more than 400 educational courses being offered for free as part of Singapore's jubilee celebrations.
From now until the end of the year, those aged 50 and above will be able to sign up for subjects ranging from literature and dance to business and culinary skills under this Ministry of Health initiative.
These courses - co-ordinated by the Council for Third Age (C3A), an agency promoting active ageing here - were piloted early last year.
Those aged 50 and above can join courses offered free till year end to celebrate SG50
By Yeo Sam Jo, The Sunday Times, 17 May 2015
Seniors itching to go back to school will get their chance this year, with more than 400 educational courses being offered for free as part of Singapore's jubilee celebrations.
From now until the end of the year, those aged 50 and above will be able to sign up for subjects ranging from literature and dance to business and culinary skills under this Ministry of Health initiative.
These courses - co-ordinated by the Council for Third Age (C3A), an agency promoting active ageing here - were piloted early last year.
Some classes will be run by various educational institutions and voluntary welfare organisations, where students young and old will learn together.
Others will be conducted by seniors for seniors.
Announcing the free courses yesterday, Senior Minister of State for Health Amy Khor said they were partly inspired by focus group discussions held by the Ministerial Committee on Ageing last year.
Active seniors had proposed providing more opportunities for older Singaporeans to learn "not just for employment, but for learning's sake".
"As individuals, 50 years old can be the start of a period of second growth too, where we learn new things, pursue new careers and experience new things," said Dr Khor.
She was speaking at the seventh annual 50plus Expo at Suntec Convention and Exhibition Centre.
She was speaking at the seventh annual 50plus Expo at Suntec Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The three-day event, which ends today and is organised by C3A and Pico Art International, aims to spur active ageing through activities such as forum talks and workshops.
Yesterday, more than 20,000 enthusiastic seniors showed up to learn how to make crepes and sushi, dabble in calligraphy and batik painting, and strum ukuleles for the first time.
Among them was retiree Kasummah Salleh, 65, who even bought a ukulele at the event after a crash course on the stringed instrument.
"I've always wanted to learn how to play this. I'm interested in all kinds of music," said the former teacher, who also plays in a gamelan ensemble.
Retired teacher Pushpa Sundram, 66, and her 68-year-old husband Yoganathan Ratnasabapathy supported the offering of free courses.
"We are always looking for things to do," said Madam Pushpa. "I want to take IT and cooking classes."
Mr Yoganathan, a retired engineer, added: "It's good that it's free. More people will take part that way."
About 2,500 seniors have signed up for the free courses so far. More popular topics include IT, business, and arts and culture.
To sign up, visit the C3A website at www.c3a.org.sg/SG50lifelong learning, or call 1800-232-7450.
As part of our SG50 celebrations, seniors will be able to sign up for learning courses for free under the SG50 Seniors...
Posted by Ministry of Health on Friday, May 15, 2015
Changing Perceptions
By Yeo Sam Jo, The Sunday Times, 17 May 2015
By Yeo Sam Jo, The Sunday Times, 17 May 2015
Part-time lecturer Pearl Tang may be 54 this year, but that did not deter her from signing up for six courses.
The mother of an 11-year-old girl is currently enrolled in classes on Chinese ink painting and clay making.
She has also registered for three IT-related courses starting next month.
Some of these classes, run by the Council for Third Age (C3A), will be offered for free this year to those aged 50 and above, as part of Singapore's jubilee celebrations.
"It's a good way to keep alert," said Madam Tang, whose hobbies include bead and jewellery making, knitting and crochet.
"For example, when you look at a tree, it's just a tree. But when you have to paint it, you have to observe the finer details. It keeps the mind active."
C3A chief executive Soh Swee Ping, 46, said the experiential component of such classes is vital in changing negative perceptions about ageing among seniors.
"The moment they experience it, they will find that hey, I can do this, I actually enjoy doing this," said Ms Soh.
"If you look around us nowadays, seniors are really active, they are contributing to society, they are doing marathons. Society should also shift to a more positive mindset towards seniors."