We're Never too Old to Learn

Lifelong learning means enabling many people to gain new knowledge or skills in official or unofficial ways and strengthening individual and national competitiveness.

"In accordance with the development of social education," said Tu Cheng-sheng, Minister of Education Ministry, "the MOE established a general learning certification system, promoted education for the community, and organized the adult basic education to decrease illiteracy rate."

"Also, it provided education for foreign spouses to encourage cultural exchanges, and cooperated with NGOs to develop lifelong learning activities."

To meet the social needs and the government's policy, the MOE in 2000 implemented the Lifelong Learning Train program to develop lifelong learning programs by promoting 57 Learning Trains, carrying out 1,598 programs, and holding more than 30,000 events over the past six years.

The programs contained workshops, lectures, contests, and social welfare activities, ranging from humanistic culture, science, creativity, to arts, and have benefited about 100,000 people.

Social education is envisioned to play a significant role in our future education system. It is not only government's responsibility to promote social education, but also needs private organizations to participate.

"We can build a learning society only with our collective efforts ," said Tu.

"I hope that more people dedicate themselves to promoting social education, upgrading Taiwan to be a more equitable country."