1. Ernest Chui, PhD, EdD Associate Professor
Elderly learning in Chinese communities – China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore
Ernest Chui, PhD, EdD Associate Professor
Department of Social Work and Social Administration The University of Hong Kong

2. Elder learning ~ active aging
Ageing population  how best to mobilize the older population to become a social resource, instead of taking it as a problem or burden  ‘active aging’ / ‘productive aging’
Research has confirmed the merit and function of continued learning in promoting active ageing

3. 4 Chinese communities
China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore – 4 case studies
(Chinese = 74% of Singaporean population)
population aged 65 and above:
Hong Kong 13%
Taiwan 10%
Singapore 9% (9.9% in Chinese population)
China 8%

4. Chinese cultural heritage
Chinese cultural lineage  legislations and policies that embody traditional normative principles that promote respect and care for the elderly.
China, Taiwan and Singapore - legislations mandating children to support their parents

5. Government policies – respect older people
China: Chinese National Committee on Ageing (1999)
Taiwan: Working Group on the Promotion of Elderly Welfare (2007)
Singapore: Inter-Ministerial Committee on Ageing Population (1999); Committee on Ageing Issues (2004); Eldercare Master Plan (2001)
Hong Kong: Elderly Commission (1997)

6. Late starter in elder learning
Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong ~ ‘Tigers’ in economic development; named as ‘productivist’ or ‘developmental’ states: social welfare = supplementary to economic development; education = contributory to economic development.
Yet heavy investment on education only limited to young people
lifelong learning for elderly people has been a late starter in social policy

7.  favourable to promoting elder learning
Chinese communities = Confucian cultural heritage - high emphasis on learning:
instrumental functions of occupational pursuits
regarded as indispensable for becoming a virtuous person
 favourable to promoting elder learning

8. Motivations in elder learning
underlying motive of elderly people (or people in general) in undertaking lifelong learning:
‘intrinsic’ (‘expressive’ and ‘achievement’)
‘extrinsic’ (‘social’ and ‘instrumental’)
‘compensatory’ motive ~ older women ~ patriarchal influence

9. mode or nature of lifelong learning
Formal
informal
non-formal

10. Thank you