According to the statistics, China had over 310 million people aged 60 and above, accounting for approximately 22% of its total population, till the end of 2024. With socioeconomic development and rising living standards, a growing number of seniors are seeking continued education to enrich their cultural and spiritual lives. Elderly education not only makes seniors' lives more vibrant but also injects new vitality into the "silver economy."
In a classroom, a teacher from the Beijing Opera Theatre is teaching students how to perform Beijing Opera "The Drunken Concubine", guiding them step-by-step.
Student AI Qi from Beijing Weigongcun Campus of the Seniors University of China (SUC) told us that, "I've always loved Beijing Opera and really wanted to study it systematically. Luckily, SUC gave us this opportunity by bringing in professional instructors and we truly cherish it."
After an advanced dance class, 71-year-old ZHAO Lianying was reluctant to leave. Along with his wife, he not onlypracticed the newly-learned Mongolian dance, but also rehearsed their self-choreographed senior waist drum dance, preparing for a good performance at this year's national senior citizens' cultural and artistic activity.
Student ZHAO Lianying from Beijing Weigongcun Campus of SUC shared, "SUC is a joyful harbor for us seniors. It helps us get rid of that kind of loneliness and boredom."
To better meet the learning needs of older adults, SUC launched 127 courses this spring semester, an increase of over 60 classes compared to last year, attracting nearly 1,200 additional enrollments.
According to LIU Caimei, dean of College Affiliated to SUC, "Firstly, we increased our enrollment capacity, and we've extended daily class schedules from two time slots to three. Secondly, we introduced more specialised courses, such as proactive health management, traditional culture, digital literacy, and skills development programmes".
At the Hainan branch of SUC, students practice classic excerpts from Qiong Opera under their instructor's guidance. This spring semester, Hainan branch has expanded its offerings with 11 new classes, including intangible cultural heritage courses like the singing style of Qiong Opera and Danzhou folk singing, allowing elderly students to immerse themselves in traditional cultural arts.
At the Xiamen branch of SUC, the new 50,000-square-meter campus officially opened in September 2024, featuring 70 more multifunctional classrooms capable of hosting 3,000 students simultaneously. For the 2024-2025 academic year, the branch is offering 163 courses with over 13,000 student enrollments.
SUC has established a nationwide public service platform for senior education, bringing together 15,000 experts and instructors. To date, the platform has attracted more than 10 million registered users.
Source: CCTV official website