Back in 2014 / 2015, when we engaged seniors in feedback sessions on how they would like to spend their silver years, seniors told us that they want to learn, both for work and for interest. They say that learning helps to keep their minds active and lets them stay in touch with family, friends and world affairs. They also support the idea of lifelong learning but highlighted the limited learning options and affordability as barriers to learning.
The National Silver Academy (NSA) was thus born.
Comprising a network of course providers, the NSA offers a wealth of learning opportunities that were never before so widely available to the public. Universities like NUS, NTU, SMU and SUSS, the polytechnics and ITE are now open to seniors pursuing courses without taking the exams. This is in addition to their existing part-time and short course programmes that already cater to current working adults. Beyond the universities and polytechnics, the NSA also offers courses – some of them for seniors only – from the arts institutions, ITE and community-based organisations. Another unique feature of the NSA is that its courses focus not just on work skills, but life skills in fields as varied as gerontology, media, design, finance, IT, the humanities and the arts among others.
For a full list of short courses, click here.
For a full list of exam-free modules, click here.
For a list of ad hoc learning opportunities, click here.
Eligible seniors can enjoy subsidies when taking short courses under the NSA. Singaporean seniors who want to participate in exam-free modules at the PSEIs only need to pay a token fee.
Post-Secondary Education Institutions (PSEIs)
Community-based Organisations
Other Partners
Community Outreach Partner
