My grade three teacher confused me. He told me that he learned something new every day. How could that be? He was a teacher and he knew everything. My grandmother and her sister added to my primary school-aged confusion by telling me that they enjoyed learning new things all the time. What was going on? Adults know everything.
What I didn’t realise then, but I am well aware of now, is that adults don’t know everything, and that many, if not most, like learning new skills and information, and expanding their horizons by trying new experiences. The importance of this lifelong learning is celebrated every year during Adult Learners’ Week — He Tangata Mātauranga.
The library fosters learning at all times, of course, but during Adult Learners’ Week it particularly encourages you to learn something new and to celebrate your successes and achievements as a lifelong learner. If you want to take on a new challenge, I recommend you:
- Drop in to one of our libraries for book clubs, computer skills, craft, cards, scrabble and much much more.
- Explore eResources: learn a language, delve into your family history, or refine your home improvement skills – the selection of resources available at your fingertips is much vaster than you may think.
- Check out the community programmes run by our Learning Centres.
- Take a look in CINCH for adult education courses in your area.
Adult Learners’ Week also incorporates International Literacy Day on 8 September. Find out about our English Language Skills resources for both people with literacy difficulties and their tutors.
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