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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Wprowadzenie do edukacji osób starszych. W kręgu pedagogiki katolickiej

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Education of the elderly has a chance to become a phenomenon of the 21st century. Polish society, like other European and developed countries, is aging faster (GUS forecasts that in 2050 old people will constitute about 40% of the population in Poland). The level of education of the older population also increases proportionally. In the years 2002–2011, an increase in the level of education of the Polish population was recorded, and this also applied to people aged at least 60. There were significant changes in the structure of education of the elderly. The most visible is the increase in the percentage of people with higher education which for this age group amounted to 9,5% in 2011 against 6,2% in 2002. There is still a visible disproportion between urban residents (13% of whom have higher education) and rural residents (less than 3%). There is therefore a large variation in the level of education between the population of cities and of the countryside, but in the perspective of 20 years, one can expect a reduction in differences both due to the intensive education of the population living in the countryside and due to the fact that the number of people of working age with secondary and higher education is migrating from cities to their outskirts. Therefore, seniors have more and more time and intellectual capacity that they can use according to their aspirations and preferences, hence this proposal of pedagogy and spirituality for the elderly. The first and the most extensive part of the introduction points out the basic assumptions and ancient gerontological sources, the boundaries of old age, goals, tasks and content as well as positive motivation to learn and the need for adult formation in the perspective of the final goal. With humility and respect for the knowledge and experience of people of old age, we also invited them to look at selected biblical patterns of elders who have gone through the last stage of life with great dignity and sensitivity to what is most important. An eloquent example of this is the kerygmatic image of a shepherd (an elder). The third part is a borrowing of the pedagogical and pastoral experience of Italian Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini. This church hierarch proposed the original theology of teaching and upbringing in faith for adults. An attempt to share this output with the Polish reader may be an impulse for a bold and timeless exchange of pedagogical and evangelizing experiences. The last part of the work is an attempt to verify one of the principles of didactics, i.e. the transition from theory to practice: from intellectual formation through socio-cultural formation to the pastoral care of the elderly. Of course, we only suggest an introduction and encouragement for further self-development work, e.g. by analyzing source texts (collected at the end of each chapter), selected literature and a concise repertory (summary). It is a proven formula that has found recognition among active listeners of lectures in pedagogical anthropology, general pedagogy and theology of teaching and upbringing in faith. There is a real danger that inactive people who do not have the appropriate skills will be marginalized, feel unnecessary and their current achievements will be questioned. Therefore, intensive information policy and specific educational and formation proposals for seniors are needed. We hope that this introduction will make it necessary to further supplement the resources of pedagogical and pastoral knowledge, lifelong learning as a condition for successful existence in the autumn of life. What’s more, it will also give courage to deepen and organize knowledge, skills and competences, allowing one to stay in the socio-cultural space, maintain one’s acquired professional position, an appropriate level of life satisfaction, and thus a sense of happiness and spiritual maturity, or “«a high standard»” of ordinary Christian life “(Saint John Paul II).