The purpose of this study is to analyze the present situation of older adults
education in Korea and to suggest alternative policy measures of it. While
Korean society has been negligent in a deal with the population aging, social
unrest emerging from negative prejudice and antipathy against the aged has
been aggravated. One of the biggest issues is a vacuum of policy on older
adults education. Legal bases of older adults education are the Elderly Welfare
Act and the Lifelong Education Act. However, the concept of older adults
education was fallen within leisure welfare for the elderly in the Elderly Welfare
Act and precisional basis on it was far to seek in the Lifelong Education Act.
Furthermore, government department responsible for older adults education has
been shifted between the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, and
the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Educational institutes for older adults
education such as senior welfare centers and seniors\' classes, etc. have not
provided professional educational activities for older adults. While projects for
older adults education such as Training of Older Adults Education Professionals,
Silver Lifelong Education Volunteers, Pilot-project for Older Adults Education
Courses, and Lifelong Education for the marginalized were executed, they were
a great lack of continuity. Based on the analysis of older adults education in
Korea, this study deducted four basic directions to improve older adults
education: the realizing educational welfare, expanding the variety of older adults
education, intensifying the professionalism of older adults education, and
strengthening competencies for active aging. Finally, this study suggests five
policy recommendations: reorganization of laws about older adults education,
clarification of the provision system of it, enhancing the quality of sectional
educational programs, systematic supporting of educational institutes, and the
training of professionals on older adults education.