Avid learners finding ways to learn amid the pandemic

Learning during the pandemic may be daunting for some, but it doesn’t have to be the case. Learning can be done onsite or online, depending on your learning needs. While we can learn at our time and pace, it is also important to pursue interests which we have a passion in.

 

2 senior participants from National Silver Academy (NSA) courses share their stories where learning is an integral part of their lives and how we can continue to learn amidst the pandemic while staying safe. 

 

Ms Mary Baby Yeshammale, 72

 

The Senior Activity Centre (Fei Yue @ Senja) in Ms Mary’s neighbourhood is a familiar place to her as she visits the centre frequently. 

 

For the past 3 to 4 years, Ms Mary has been attending National Silver Academy (NSA)’s short courses conducted by the centre and exposed herself to various topics such as floral design, painting, cake making and creating works of art. She has also attended many Intergenerational Learning Programmes (ILP) at education institutions such as ITE College West, which encourages intergenerational bonding by matching youths and seniors in a group learning environment so that they can learn together and exchange knowledge.

 

As a result of her passion for learning and her interest in the arts, Ms Mary has taken 26 ILPs and 13 NSA courses in total, with the latest NSA courses being “Miniature Food Sculpting” and “Batik Painting” conducted by Family Central.

 

She thinks that it is not good to stay at home all the time, believes it is important to keep herself occupied and active, and encourages people around her to go out and take part in activities where possible, as long as safe measurement measures are adhered to.

 

Being at home all the time increases stress. Especially for those who live alone, (they) will only watch television. Thus, it is important to keep engaged in learning and also go out from time to time to interact with others. – Ms Mary

 

From having no friends to being able to get acquainted with everyone in the block, the senior activity centre has helped Ms Mary widen her social circle. 

 

“I really enjoy my time at the senior activity centre as I get to learn new things to keep active and stay socially connected with friends that I’ve made through attending these activities and courses,” said Ms Mary. 

 

Mr Kandasamy Selvakumar, 68 (featured on the left in photo)

 

Retired engineer Mr Selvakumar considers the National Silver Academy (NSA) courses to be a stepping stone to getting back to work. Aspiring to pursue a career in urban agriculture, he enrolled in several courses relating to horticulture and plumbing maintenance. 

 

“Horticulture and plumbing are related to the work being done in the field of urban agriculture, which I am interested in. These skills learnt would also be very useful in daily life,” Mr Selvakumar said.

 

Having learned in horticulture classes, I have set up a tool together with a friend to control the water level of the fountain in my home. The skills learnt in the pipe repair process are also beneficial in the practice of growing plants in mineral-rich water through hydroponics. – Mr Selvakumar

 

As an avid learner, Mr Selvakumar has taken a range of courses under the NSA since 2019 which include IT skills, how to start a home business, electrical appliance repair, and how to be an effective volunteer.

 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he wanted to continue to take up courses to widen his horizons and knowledge. Some of the most recent NSA courses he had taken in 2021 include “Micro:Bit − Build An Auto-Watering Plant System” and “IT Literacy - Basic Microsoft Word” conducted by Institute of Technical Education, and “Bahasa Indonesia (Level 1)” conducted by National University of Singapore.

 

Mr Selvakumar also decided to pick up a new language for various reasons – he was aware that learning a new language would help to boost cognitive skills, and he thought that it would be useful when he travels to Malaysia for work purposes, although travelling has been restricted for now. He also volunteers from time to time, such as visiting old folks’ homes and says that the additional language learnt may be useful in that circumstance too.

 

“At my age, I can focus on myself by pursuing whatever I’m interested in without any burdens. Thus, we should make good use of our time and spend it meaningfully during our silver years,” he concluded.

 

**Special thanks to Ms Mary and Mr Selvakumar who accepted our interview, we wish them all the very best in their lifelong learning journey.