An exploration of senior education in Nanjing, China

• Published in: Educational gerontology Vol. 44; no. 12; pp. 766 - 774
• Main Authors: Xi, Qingkui, Zhang, Qian, Cha, Guiting
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Taylor & Francis Ltd 02.12.2018
• Subjects: Adult education; Lifelong learning; Older people; Statistical Data; Sustainable Development; Urban schools; China
• DOI: 10.1080/03601277.2018.1560863
• ISSN: 0360-1277

The purpose of the manuscript is to investigate senior education in Nanjing, China. The results were achieved by (1) collating statistical data from various published documents and government websites; (2) administering an on-site questionnaire to 500 randomly selected senior residents from five urban districts in Nanjing to assess attitudes regarding Nanjing's senior education program; and, (3) analyzing these results in order to formulate suggestions for future sustainable development. The survey findings revealed: (1) senior education in Nanjing has achieved rapid development; (2) the admission rate for senior residents has increased from 2.7% to 7.7% over 20 years; (3) seniors are essentially content with the current status of senior education with a satisfaction rate of 72.7%; and (4) the majority of survey respondents (75.8%) would agree to pay an annual education fee of approximately 500 Yuan (approximately $70 US). The manuscript, therefore, offers a description of senior education in Nanjing that may provide insight into China's senior education program and a blueprint for future development.