THE autumn admissions period has seen stiff competition for places at Chinese educational institutions for the aged, with many elderly people joining queues or applying online within the first few minutes — only to be disappointed.

“The slots are gone in a flash,” said an applicant surnamed Liu from Shenyang, capital of Northeast China’s Liaoning Province.

The demand for continuing education has skyrocketed in recent years in China, driven by factors including supportive policies, demographic shifts and a rising aspiration among the elderly to enjoy a better quality of life, according to several heads of educational institutions for seniors.

“The establishment of a university for the elderly needs to meet certain conditions,” said Li Chunhua, deputy secretary-general of the China Association of the Universities for the Aged (CAUA). These include classroom space and teaching staff that are suitable for seniors, as well as the approval of relevant authorities, said Li.

By the end of 2019, there were about 76,000 universities and colleges for the elderly in China, compared with 62,000 in 2017, according to a report on the development of education for the elderly released by the CAUA.

Not all of them are in urban areas, with such institutions now expanding to smaller communities. In recent years, many provinces across the country, like Jiangsu, Hubei and Shandong, have set up branch campuses of universities for the elderly in towns and villages.

In its 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), the country has outlined an array of measures to boost the education for the aged, including building a national university for the aged with the Open University of China as a basis and supporting schools that meet the relevant standards in taking part in elderly education initiatives.

(Xinhua)