Needs of Older People: Do Education Programmes Meet the Challenge?

It has been established that older people have the potential to continue to learn. Evidence that learning and intellectual stimulation is highly valued by older people is illustrated by the popularity of education programmes offered by the University of the Third Age (U3A). The paper will give an overview of educational opportunities presently extsting in Australia and trace the history of the development of U3A. Emphasis will be placed on issues which should be addressed if access to educational opportunities is to be improved.