The Straits Times

Some Singaporean seniors who are hitting 70 and beyond are finding that traditional retirement is a concept that does not apply to them yet.

In embracing lifelong learning, and submitting to the academic rigour of acquiring diplomas or degrees, they say their quest for greater knowledge is not a chore but a joy.

Tey Beng Huan, an industrial-organisational psychologist at the Centre for Applied Behavioural Sciences at Temasek Polytechnic, says: “Certificates and diplomas function as tangible social assets that affirm competence and identity. This helps explain why some older adults keep accumulating them, as each credential reinforces self-worth at a life stage otherwise associated with decline or withdrawal.”

Citing studies, he notes that “the bulk of evidence points towards internal motivation as the primary driver”.

For example, a 2021 study by Duke-NUS Medical School’s Centre for Ageing Research and Education (CARE) found that older Singaporeans were motivated to participate in lifelong learning for personal development and social engagement.

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