Older people can get a degree while learning from afar

Posted 29 Oct 2010

The number of older people obtaining a degree through distance learning has increased.

According to the Open University, 11 per cent of its students this year are aged over 55 and three per cent are more than 65-years-old, reported the Telegraph on October 28th.

Those people who have taken an early retirement and wish to see the world, while taking a degree, can take a TEFL course and teach English abroad.

Tony Markson, 73, who has a BA honours in History and is now undertaking an MSC in International Studies, told the news provider: "My friends think retirement is about lying back and doing nothing. But that's not for me. Where the brain is concerned, if you don't use it, you lose it."

There are also 29,000 Open University students that are aged under 25, meaning they could teach English abroad while obtaining a degree.

Distance learning enables a student to study for a degree online, while they continue to work if they so wish.

These degrees take around six years to complete as they are part-time.
 

Category: Teaching and Learning