Never too late: Older people attain long-awaited education dreams

The pursuit of knowledge knows no age, as the process of learning enhances one’s self-esteem, and the quest for education sparks curiosity to use our mind at any age. Some older people have sought and are still seeking to continue their education, and luckily their efforts have been and will be rewarded.  

It takes guts to decide resuming an academic path at an old age. It needs a lot of effort, time, persistence, overcoming challenges, and facing misconceptions to turn dreams into reality. There are numerous success stories of older people who have fulfilled their aspirations and have earned different academic degrees. 

International efforts to facilitate education for older people 

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has set a universal plan through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to realize the human rights of all people. It calls for leaving no one behind and for ensuring that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are met for all segments of society, at all ages, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable, including older persons. Older persons must be recognized as the active agents of societal development in order to achieve truly transformative, inclusive and sustainable development outcomes, according to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The 2030 Agenda states that older persons frequently encounter multiple challenges that confine their human rights and their participation in society, such as poverty, malnutrition, and lack of access to adequate housing. Moreover, discrimination towards older persons at individual and institutional levels undermines older persons’ status and their right to access to education and training, according to UNDP.  

For its part, the Humanitarian Ambassadors Organization (HAO) stated, in its 11th session of the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing, that the elderly have the right to be educated. The first step in enhancing the education of older people is to raise their awareness to accept their ability to learn and step on the path to learning. Most seniors are not motivated to learn, while other people in the community may have negative attitudes toward the educability of the elderly, according to the UN. 

HAO affirmed that education must be available to everyone without age restrictions. Non-governmental educational institutions have more freedom to change age restrictive frameworks. By changing their approach, these institutions can have a huge influence on the education of the elderly, the UN reported.  

Psychological impact of education on older people 

Hopelessness can have a negative impact on the lives of older adults, and poor memory is one of the common influences. Educational achievement may assist older people to maintain their sense of control and positive outlook on life. Education improves personal resources, creates access to social and economic opportunities, and helps coping with age-related declines in health, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). 

Several studies have observed a positive association between education and control. Education may protect older adults from declines in psychosocial functioning because it helps them avoid adverse events and changes associated with a low sense of control and hopelessness. The studies referred to the importance of education for sense of control and hopelessness in older adulthood, NCBI reported.

It is never too late 

After decades of leaving education, Jihad Batto (Umm Sohail), 85 years old, graduated from university and earned a bachelor’s degree from the College of Sharia Sciences in Kafr Bara, which she joined in 2018, according to Al-Ain. 

Batto, a Palestinian grandmother born in Nablus in 1936, was forced to drop out of school due to the Palestinian exodus in 1948, when she was 12 years old. She returned to school again at the age of 81 to prove to the world that age is just a number. Finally, she achieved her dream of wearing a graduation cap and gown in 2021 after earning her degree, Al-Ain reported. 

The 101-year-old Merrill Pittman Cooper finally received his high school diploma after waiting for 80 years. He attended Storer College in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, from 1934 to 1938, but dropped out for financial reasons, according to CNN. 

After a long career in the transportation industry, Cooper visited the school in 2018. To help him realize his dream, his family contacted many educational institutions, which helped him achieve his long-awaited dream, CNN reported. 

Another success story is Amal Ismail Metwally Abdo, an Egyptian woman who had to leave middle school at the age of 12 after her family prevented her from finishing her education, according to El Watan News. 

The 70-year-old woman did not forget about her dream, and she was not hindered by the passing years, social conditions, and old habits. In addition, she bravely survived cancer twice. 

She began pursuing her educational dream at the age of 38 and finished middle school. Her dream was suspended for years again. When she reached the age of 68, she decided to join high school. After her graduation, she chose sociology as her major at the Faculty of Arts, El Watan News reported.  

After earning her bachelor’s degree at the age of 75, Amal's ambitions did not stop. She submitted her application to join the master's program, and her application was accepted.

Inspired by his daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, 84-year-old Gordon Wallbank earned his high school diploma with the Upper Canada District School Board, according to Global News. 

Wallbank dropped out school in ninth grade after his father told him to start making money. Despite having not earned a degree, Wallbank had a successful 33-year professional experience at the National Film Board of Canada and retired in 1994, Global News stated.