Lifelong learning and ageing: evidence from Singapore, in this article posted earlier this year the authors note that globalisation and new technology are creating endless changes in the way we live work and learn – and this means that everyone, older people included, must be prepared to constantly learn and relearn.

Singapore has a SkillsFuture movement which is responsible for coordinating and implementing a national programme that promotes a culture of lifelong learning - including skills development, personal development and social integration. The movement is based on six pillars of learning – which Singapore has evolved from UNESCO’s four pillars of learning (‘to know’, ‘to do’, ‘to be’ and ‘to live together').

The six pillars are: ‘formal learning’, ‘workplace learning’, ‘personal learning’, ‘social learning’ – and two enabling pillars – ‘technologies for learning’ and ‘learning to learn’. 

The pillar, ‘technologies for learning’, “relates to the use of the internet and other ICT tools for communication and productivity purposes, to access information, and to carry out learning activities. Learning to learn relates to learning strategies and capabilities for self-directed learning.” 

A recent study in Singapore has found that (even after adjusting for other factors) learning is negatively associated with age. While adults rank well with both ‘social learning’ and ‘personal learning’, the data shows that there is a relatively sharp decline in the ‘technologies for learning’ scores, especially between the ages of 40 to 70 years. 

The authors conclude that we can help older people keep learning by helping them become familiar with ICT tools. “As learning becomes lifelong, the participation of our seniors cannot and should not be ignored.”