European policies for active ageing and lifelong learning. A research in the area of the training system for the elderly in Sicily

The article presents a research, conducted with a qualitative method, on the function of the University of the Third Age in relation to the new needs of the elderly. Referring to EU strategies, this study intends to verify whether the education of the elderly in Sicily is really useful to develop concrete opportunities for active emancipation, for the assumption of responsibility, for motivation and autonomy, for the development of decision-making and planning skills, for the affirmation of a concept of social citizenship and high standard of living. The sample interviewed includes elderly students and teachers from a University of the Third Age in Trapani. More precisely, the sample is made up of retired men aged between 66 - 72 years, retired women aged between 65 - 70, and housewives aged between 58 - 70. The results give an interesting insight on the world of the elderly, on their existential condition, on their educational needs. The results also represent a valuable starting point for pedagogical reflection on the possibility of planning educational experiences dedicated to the elderly starting with their subjectivity and their needs of self-realization.