In our society, we tend to relate education with young people — children of school age, and up until the university. The focus is put on the younger generations as our hope for the future. The idea is that if we invest in their education, will are helping to ensure a better future.
While it is, of course, essential to invest money, time, and other resources into the education of children — and indeed we should be investing much more than we are — too often we gloss over or ignore altogether the importance of learning for adults.
Adults benefit from learning just as much as children do. They need it for various reasons, to keep their minds sharp, to find jobs that fulfill them, and to be active members of society.
Photo by Monica Melton on Unsplash
Aside from the benefits that adults themselves receive from learning, we must recognize that society too benefits. Yes, children can help make the future better, but so can adults. And in fact, many adults already have important life experiences under their belts that make them a great resource, and source for ideas of how we can improve our society.
It’s time to stop ignoring adults when it comes to learning. By enabling adults to learn, we improve our society and help build a better future for adults and children alike.