Elderly education participation hits record level

The University of Malta founded the University of the Third Age (U3A) in 1993 to provide education to old people. Since then, participation has been steadily on the rise and the institute now welcomes an average of 640 members a year.

“The primary aim of the U3A is learning for its own sake,” Joseph Said told Sunday newspaper ILLUM on behalf of the institute. “We want to promote education amongst adults and old people because it improves their quality of life and social development.”

The institute offers a wide range of courses, from Maltese history to religious subjects to art appreciation to basic language skills in Maltese, Italian, French, German, and Spanish. However, Said said that the large majority of people attend courses not only to learn but also to socialise and remain active.

Members fall into two categories, one group for people aged between 65 and 69 and another for those between 70 and 74. The oldest person to ever attend was 87-year-old Julie Agius.

“I have been attending classes here for the past seven years,” Agius said. “I enjoy learning, particularly languages. When I was young, I learnt Italian and French and now, thanks to U3E, I am learning Spanish.”

“I encourage all old people reading this to keep their minds active,” Agius said. “So long as the machine keeps turning, you will remain sane. If the mind falls asleep, it will remain asleep.”

Read the full story on Sunday’s edition of ILLUM.