Social change and learning: the role of education in the third age

Abstract

The segment of the Third Age comes in focus in Brazil, with a theme relevant to current social context. Therefore, education aimed at this age group back in to a different context, not a means of welfarism or compensation. Note that the elderly is not just a person who needs to recreational activities to occupy their time, but needs room to grow and learn more, it is not the age that defines the ability to learn. It is observed that people in the Seniors have much to teach, but still has a lot to learn, demonstrating the need to be in touch with new knowledge and also new experiences. The elderly have the right to education, provided for in Chapter V, in articles 20 to 25 of the Statute of the Elderly (Law 10741/03). Thus, this research has as its objective to identify the role of education as a possibility for change for the elderly; analyze the different forms of inclusion and integration of the elderly in the educational context, examine public policies aimed at the elderly's right to education. The research is quantitative, qualitative, used the observation and implementation of questionnaires to students of the Open University for the Third Age UEPG for data collection. As a result, it was possible to observe an action that allows conscious educational changes and transformations in the lives of the elderly, enabling a better quality of life. As well as public policies geared to that segment should provide rights in various fields such as health, leisure, sport and education.