In recent years, with the increasing demand for cultural care for the elderly, universities for the elderly have become more and more popular, and the competition for admission has even surpassed some famous universities.
Recently, this reporter came to the University for the Aged (Changbaishan Road Campus) in the West Coast New Area to visit the learning status of the "silver-aged college students" in the new area, communicate with teachers and students, and listen to their stories about the colorful stories that happened in the University for the Elderly.
West Coast New Area University for the Elderly (Changbaishan Road Campus)
One is hard to find
Vocal dance class is the most "fan-attracting"
......At 9:30 a.m., the reporter walked into the dance studio on the ninth floor of the University for the Aged (Changbaishan Road Campus) in the New District and saw that the students were wearing dance costumes and holding the bar, and were practicing according to the teacher's instructions. The windows in the classrooms are bright and clean, and the sunlight spills into the classrooms through the nearly 10-meter-long floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the whole room warm and bright, making people feel comfortable.
Students learn dance moves from their teachers.
Ms. Wang, a student, had a look of chagrin on her face because she had made a mistake, but she quickly collected her mood, adjusted her breathing, and kept up with the rhythm of the music. "I loved dancing when I was younger, and I never had the opportunity or time to learn, but after I retired, I decided to return to my hobby and make the most of my retirement. Ms. Wang said.
At the door of classroom 801 downstairs in the dance studio, bursts of melodious piano sounds came out from time to time. In the classroom, the guqin class added by the Changbaishan Road Campus in the fall semester of 2023 is being added by many students, and it has been loved by many students as soon as it was launched. At present, there are two teaching classes in this course, and each class is full of students.
As soon as the guqin class was launched, it was loved by many students.
It is understood that vocal music and dance courses are the most popular among the elderly, such as dance, guqin, recitation, etc., these courses are almost full of people, and some students are unwilling to graduate from school for more than ten years. For these high-level students, the school has set up five seminars in the fall semester of 2023, aiming to provide students with a higher-level and more professional learning platform, so that students can further deepen their professional knowledge and improve their skills.
Up to now, the University for the Aged in the New District has 5 campuses, including Qiantangjiang Road Campus, Shuangzhu Road Campus, Chongming Island Road Campus, Changbaishan Road Campus and Sansha Road Campus (not yet opened), with more than 60 majors and 256 classes in 5 departments, including the Department of Practical Technology, the Department of Calligraphy and Painting, the Department of Dance, the Department of Music and Opera, and the Department of Physical Education, with more than 7,000 students.
Here, the old people walked out of the "small circle" in front of the pot and behind the stove, teasing their grandchildren, and regained their hobbies. They learn all kinds of new knowledge and skills to enrich their later years, whether it is calligraphy, painting, music or dance, they devote themselves to it with great enthusiasm and perseverance. They have proved with their own practical actions that the elderly can also have the right to learn and the pursuit of knowledge, which is the epitome of the elderly in the new area to learn and have fun.
Faculty Staffing
Nearly half of the teachers are over 60 years old
After walking through several classrooms in succession, the reporter found that in the Changbaishan Road Campus, there were not only energetic elderly students, but also many energetic silver-haired teachers.
Song Jiayin, 67, is one of the silver-haired teachers. "It seems that from the moment my parents gave me a name, I was destined to have an indissoluble bond with music. "My brother is an accordionist, and he often practices playing the accordion at home. This very unique-looking instrument quickly caught my eye, combining the characteristics of a keyboard instrument with the unique tone produced by the bellows. The bellows that open and close, the dense bass keys, and the melody that seems to have magical power all attract me to learn and explore. After entering university, although Song Jiayin majored in piano, he did not throw away the accordion. In 2017, the New District University for the Elderly decided to offer accordion classes, and Song Jiayin was invited to be the teacher, and she taught for 7 years.
At the University for the Aged in the New District, there are not a few silver-haired teachers like Song Jiayin. Silver-haired teachers are not only the transmitters of knowledge, but also the distinctive representatives of the elderly in the new district. Although they are old, they are still in good spirits and still maintain their love for knowledge and dedication to education.
It is understood that there are 126 teachers in the University for the Aged in the New District, of which nearly half are over 60 years old. However, at present, the teaching staff of the old university in the new district is gradually becoming younger, and 40% of the new teachers hired this year are young teachers under the age of 40.
Outside the door of the calligraphy and painting classroom, a young man was surrounded by several students. "Ocean, pay more attention lately, there are a lot of people who have colds. "That's it, don't feel that you have strong resistance when you're young, and you still have to pay attention to adding clothes when the sky changes." ”......
The young man who was surrounded was the representative of the young teachers of the old university - Gao Haiyang, a calligraphy teacher, who gave a humorous lecture style and was deeply loved by the students. "Takaka always has a lot of fun metaphors and stories to explain complex, lengthy concepts, and we all listen to them with great interest. Mr. Ma, the head of the calligraphy and painting class, said, "When I was young, I liked to write, but I never studied it systematically. Now that I have time and such a good teacher, I have to practice harder. ”
Since Gao Haiyang is about the same age as most of the students' children, he is often concerned about personal issues by the students. Gao Haiyang said with a smile: "They already treat me as their own child, and they always greet me with cold and warmth, which makes me very warm." ”
Development goals
To build a first-class university for the elderly in China
In the blink of an eye, the morning study time was over. The students of the old university walked out of the teaching building in groups of three or five.
After saying goodbye to her classmates, Ms. Zhang, a student, walked to the bus stop sign on the north side of the entrance of the University for the Elderly to wait for the bus. "With the extension of bus 806, I can go directly to school from my doorstep, not to mention how convenient it is. Ms. Zhang said with a smile.
In 2023, the news of the opening of the University for the Elderly (Changbaishan Road Campus) in the New District made Ms. Zhang, who lives in the Moon Bay community, very happy. Since she couldn't drive, she checked the bus route and learned that the 806 bus line in front of her home had been extended to the entrance of the University for the Elderly, and her joy was beyond words. She excitedly told her family that she would not need them to pick her up in the future and that she could take the bus to school by herself.
Behind this seemingly simple extension of the line is the efforts of the University for the Aged in the New District for nearly a year. It turned out that one year before the opening of the Changbaishan Road Campus, the New District University for the Elderly conducted a detailed investigation and analysis of the geographical location and surrounding traffic conditions of the new campus to ensure that the new transportation routes could meet the travel needs of most students.
Subsequently, the University for the Aged in the New District applied to the bus company, hoping that the bus company could adjust the five bus routes such as No. 7, No. 51 and No. 20 in order to better serve the students of the Changbaishan Road Campus.
In addition, in order to expand the teaching coverage, the University for the Elderly in the New District also actively cooperates with colleges and universities in the district, towns and streets, and new economies. At present, a total of 5 branches have been set up: Hongshiya, Xin'an, Lingzhushan, Shandong University of Science and Technology and Zhongkang Nursing Center.
A few days ago, the University for the Aged in the New District passed the acceptance of the standard demonstration school of the University for the Aged in China with high standards and high quality. The New District University for the Elderly will take this opportunity to further strengthen school management, deepen teaching reform, highlight the characteristics of running a school, promote the continuous deepening of standardized school-running, promote the vigorous development of student club activities, and strive to cultivate the "three haves" elderly who are "productive, progressive, and happy" in the new era, and comprehensively build a first-class university for the elderly in China.
(Editor: L, this article is published and produced by West Coast, from Qingdao West Coast Daily, please indicate the source for reprinting)