Hi Everyone,

I am in my first year at university studying education and as part of my course I am working on a presentation on Inequalities In the Learning Environment and I am looking into age discrimination in particular and am trying to carry out some research.

I just wondered if anybody has ever suffered age dicrimination in a learning environment, can be anything from a guitar class to a university or college course, if so how did it make you feel?

Also i would love to hear your views on age discrimination in education or training and what you'd like to see change. I would really appreciate you help.

Thanks
Laura

HI Laura

   No, absolutely not.  I'm just coming to the end of GCSE Maths and, apart from a couple of thirtysomethings, the rest of the group are teenagers who didn't get the grades they needed for their chosen career.  I'm old enough to be their granny, in fact I have granddaughters their age, and they're a friendly, cheerful bunch.  Our maths teacher, Sarah, is excellent.  It's those 'gremlins' as in the TV ads, I successfully completed national numeracy Level 2 the year before last, and GCSE is just taking it a bit further.  Hopefully I'll get a 'C' grade - it's te modular course, we've already had the results for Modules 1 - 3, exams a month from now.

    My BSc(Hons) 2:1 Behavioural Sciences is a quarter-century old, and I have a grandson who's a mature student at the university where I was a mature student!

   My husband goes to NIACE meetings on the topic you're researching.  He didn't touch a computer until after his 60th birthday, was a mechanical engineer/sales engineer/businessman, now he's very computer-literate.  He's found no age discrimination either.

   Best wishes, Margaret

   Good

Hi Margaret

I was interested because you say you have a BSc from many years ago and yet you are doing GCSE Maths.

Is this something you have to do, or are you chosing to do this?  I am asking because I am feeling that it is age that is preventing me getting onto a postgraduate degree course - I applied last year and was told things like, oh i don't think they did XYZ 20 years ago so you'd have to start from scratch with that and , I think you'd need extra help in (statistics)....I even had, its a computer based course, I don't think you'd be able to cope!!  So, I didn't get on last year. 

One year later, I have followed an "updating" course, and  may now need to re-do my BSc (in Psychology) because my previous degree is no longer recognised (something called the '10 year rule') and of course, there is a new requirement which does not come with my previous degree.

I don't think there is discrimination once you are on the

course, it is getting on the course that is causing me difficulties!!   Sorry to be so negative, but I think that being accepted onto a course is that much harder when you are older.

I thought I would give my input!!!

Regards

Lauren  

 

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Hi Lauren

 

I'm sorry to hear you have experienced age discrimination - sadly it is all too common.

 

The Government is currently consulting the public on the topic of discrimination, with a view to making a new law against discrimination. Help the Aged believes it is vitally important that the Government realises how widespread ageism is, and how it affects older people, so that it can include age discrimination in the new law. The consultation ends very soon.

 

It would be great if you could fill in our consultation response form, at http://www.helptheaged.org.uk/en-gb/Campaigns/FightingAgeism/DiscriminationLawReview/ci_dlr_form.htm, with your experiences.

 

Thanks,

 

Kate Roberts

Assistant editor, New Media

Help the Aged

Hello Lauren
   No, it was not something I 'have' to do.  I'll explain.
   I got on to the degree course in 1978 at the local Polytechnic (now Huddersfield University) by means of having 4 'O' levels, 2 Open University Foundation courses, plus professional qualifications as a nurse and a midwife.  My BSc(Hons) course included statistics.  Having a degree which included statistics enabled me to get on to the teaching course, CertEd (FE) and I taught midwives for a few years.
    In my early 60s, after I met my darling second husband (married in 2002) I dealt with a few of the issues I'd had from my childhood.  I had to confront several 'demons' if you like.
   Having done all that, including appearing on a BBC Radio 4 'It's My Story' (about my complicated and upsetting family history) I felt strong enough to tackle another set of 'demons' - about maths.  My dislike of maths goes back to one particular incident in a classroom when I was 6 and was cracked over the wrist for writing in words not figures (I didn't know you had to write in figures!) It was the first time any adult had ever shown me violence and I never forgot it.
   I spent a lifetime 'avoiding' maths where possible, but a few years ago I decided to tackle the issue.  I went to our local Community College and over time, took the City&Guilds national certificate in numeracy, Level 2.  The next stage was GCSE Maths, and I've tackled that.
    I didn't know there was a 10-year rule, so my degree is no longer valid?
   What I'd really like to do is Early Medieval Studies 410-1066 AD.  I'm trying to learn Old English (Anglo-Saxon) from a book, on my own.  Not easy.
    What's this rubbish about 'it's a computer-based course, you'd not be able to cope?' There are plenty of computer-updating courses locally and they'll all be starting again soon. 
   You seem to have suffered from, not so much age discrimination as such, but people's perceptions of what you're capable of at your age.  Where are you in the country? All universities now have a Department of Lifelong Learning or a similar name.  My daughter works in one and she's doing part-time Classics in the same university where she's a senior PA. 
   Keep trying and don't let anyone tell you that you can't do it!
   Best wishes, Margaret