More on this storySuccess by degrees Practical matters Never too late to learn Related articlesThe OU student Learning against all the odds From PR girl to academic Studying while caring Useful websitesThe Workers' Education Association (WEA) Floodlight ARCA Time to Learn The University of the Third Age Birkbeck Universities Association for Lifelong Learning DirectGov Adult Learning BBC Learning |
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Learning for pleasure
Learning for fun and finding the most friendly places when you’re an older student The Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) is the UK’s largest voluntary provider of adult education.
It has local offices around the country and provides a vast array of courses covering subjects as diverse as Dowsing and Byzantine Art.
The City & Guilds have combined with Time to Learn to provide information on a variety of courses available around the country. Local Authorities still run the traditional evening classes and they normally produce their own brochures at the end of each summer available through local libraries. In bigger areas it is sold in newsagents.
The London brochure called Floodlight provides a database of over 40,000 courses around the London boroughs, is now available on line.
Local Community Colleges provide another source for adult learning. They produce an Annual Prospectus that can also be found in your local library.
The ARCA colleges are a group of small colleges run by local authorities, charitable trusts and other similar organizations.
Their courses range from day schools, residential weekends and summer schools mostly for the enjoyment of learning.
The University of the Third Age, or “U3A”, is a worldwide movement where members provide lectures and courses for other members.
Museums, galleries and heritage centres offer a rich source of options for short courses such as study days, lunchtime lectures or evening talks.
Which Are The Most “Oldie” Friendly Centres Of Learning?
Many universities are now ‘oldie’ friendly and new learning institutions and methods have been established with the mature student in mind so you won’t have to embarrass the family by grooving on down at the Freshers’ ball.
Birkbeck is a very good choice for part-time PhDs and all types of adult learning and it’s also worth looking at Universities Association for Lifelong Learning, they list the Universities with active Lifelong learning departments. Written by Felicity Hawkins
This article was created: 21 July 2006.
This article was last edited: 3 May 2007.
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