“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young” – Henry Ford
Education is the gift that keeps on giving. It keeps our mind alive, our imagination energised, and our sense of self-awareness and self-worth healthy. What’s not to love?
The 21st century has changed the education game and the linear model of academic development is effectively redundant in this day and age. With the platform for education transcending the four walls of a classroom and taking up residence in the digital space, a new era of education has been ushered in to cater for a much wider demographic.
A major benefit is that education is being pursued and enjoyed by adult learners who play a very important role in our economy and comprise roughly half of the domestic student population.
With an ageing population and an increasingly competitive professional environment, learning for all students, regardless of age, has never been more important. From 16 to 60+, all members of the New Zealand work community are valuable – our economy depends on a highly skilled, diverse and adaptable workforce.
For years, accessing flexible education was a challenge for many, particularly adult learners juggling other key responsibilities. Online learning has meant that people are able to return to education at any age, on any day, at any time of the year. It’s the sector that never sleeps!
With less barriers to access for adult learners in particular, including the elimination of a need to travel and study being possible at any hour of the day, adult learners – classified as students 25 and over – are now able to make study work around their schedule in a cost and time effective fashion.
For parents, this means not having to hire help or ask for unpaid time off work to complete assignments or participate in tutorials. This new paradigm is also a relief for many who were previously caught by having to follow a rigid programme that created restrictions in other areas of their lives – such as spending time with children or achieving the ever-elusive work life balance.
Ultimately, education should never discriminate as every individual deserves the chance to feed their mind and follow their dreams.