11.35 Older people are the population cohort who has done least well from the policy changes introduced in 1992. The weakening of local adult education programmes has had a negative impact on participation levels by people over 65, many of whom do not seek accreditation. People over 50 are excluded from student loan arrangements in higher education, and few workers over 35 get substantial access to training at work. Yet the medical evidence is clear - continued mental activity can offset the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, and at a common sense level every general practitioner knows the therapeutic benefit of local classes to isolated, lonely and under-confident older people.
11.36 Effective provision for older people will depend upon strengthening the provision of the adult education it is Local Authorities' duty to secure. But it also needs effective collaboration between Government departments to ensure that health promotion and education policy is harmonised. The success of the University of the Third Age movement, the dynamic role of older people in sustaining voluntary organisations, and the upsurge of leisure based learning for early retirement all testify to the potential. Yet as NIACE's 'Older and Bolder' initiative makes clear, many institutions are only beginning to explore effective strategies to reach less confident and less affluent older people.
11.37 Similar energy and imagination should be given to recognising and supporting the continuing learning of those elderly and often frail members of the community, who might be living alone, or with family or in residential provision. They may have increasing difficulties with mobility or general health and may lack finance and other resources. For them, continued or renewed opportunities for intellectual stimulation will make all the difference between a life retaining some prospect of dignity and independence. The bleak alternative is an existence which appears to be doomed only to a patient wait for the release of death, borne along by varying combinations of benign condescension, dependence and neglect.
11.38 We believe that the importance of providing appropriate learning opportunities to older people should be recognised in a strategy of lifelong learning for all and its value in helping to sustain their self-esteem, dignity, healthy living, independence and continued activity. Local Authorities, the NHS and voluntary organisations should all reflect this in their policies, provision and funding regimes to support learning for all.
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