ABSTRACT
The process of ageing, and being older people, conjures up ideas, images and stereotypes which have a profound impact on the way in which, at an individual and collective level, this process is perceived and dealt with. The tasks of being a ‘barker’ or recruiter, of being a ‘broker’ or educational enabler, and of being a ‘booster’ or morale and confidence builder are clearly difficult ones, best realized in an institutional setting that has a more holistic and universalistic framework than is normal. Since both getting older and learning are lifelong processes, it is extremely important that some of the aspirations of older people are seen by their educators as requiring continual support through development of suitable courses and educational activities. A further consideration ought to be for large numbers of older people from migrant communities who can take part in a very different type of operation, namely more formal higher education.
