Never Too Old to Learn

The University of the Third Age (U3A) is a worldwide movement that encourages older people to take up or to continue educational and other interests in friendly and informal settings.

U3A claims to have ‘the potential to transform the later stages of life for millions of people’.

There are no qualifications needed for entry – the only requirements are interest and enthusiasm – and there are no degrees either, but the success of U3A has been remarkable and dramatic. The value comes in the pleasure derived from learning and sharing knowledge.

The basic principle is that older people have amassed a huge amount of knowledge – many U3A members are retired university professors who want to continue teaching and keep in touch – and that this shared knowledge base can bring learning and enjoyment to others.

The ‘third age’ is step three in life: the ‘first age’ is youthful growth and education; the ‘second age’ is maturity, career and/or home-making responsibility. The ‘third age’ comes after full-time employment. But in fact there is no lower age limit.

The result is an international organisation that has more than 500 centres in Britain and more than 140,000 members who are tapping in to the talents of some of the finest minds and broadest experiences in the country.

The organisation is non-political and non-denominational and has been described as ‘a co-operative of older people who, after retirement, wish to share in a variety of educational, creative and leisure activities’. The range of subjects is extensive, from archaeology to technology (plus lots of other ‘ologies’), art, environmental studies, European studies, genealogy, history, IT, music, philosophy, world religions and many more.

Each regional group devises its own courses and sets its own charges, which tend to be around £15 a year!

Interest groups are often quite small, with meetings or classes often taking place in members’ homes. But some groups go on tailor-made educational tours abroad, accompanied and ‘briefed’, or taught, by an expert. There are also summer schools held at universities.

U3A reflects the demographic trend that more people are living longer and healthier lives. As ever more people are taking early retirement, often in their 50s, the university has been able to create more varied courses.

The movement was founded in France in 1972 and was closely linked to universities but when it moved to Britain ten years later it became more of a self-help organisation.

The upturn in online learning has helped considerably, allowing better communication and the exchange of documents. ‘Internetwork’ was set up by a group of U3A computer enthusiasts to encourage the use of the Internet for more effective communications and learning for U3A members in the UK.