phrases, sayings, idioms and expressions at

Education for leisure

Posted by DRC on March 09, 2005

In Reply to: Education for leisure posted by Smokey Stover on March 08, 2005

: : : : education for leisure

: : : : What does this phrase mean plz?

: : : Okay, this has been up a while with no one deigning to offer a guess. Without some context one must guess, since the phrase is not exactly a widely used catch phrase. I imagine, however, that some author is referring to the fact that some Americans, at least some of those who retire, suddenly find themselves with a lot of time on their hands, an excess of "leisure" time, in which nothing in particular is expected of them. This can be disturbing and frustrating to someone used to a structured life. So I'm guessing that "education for leisure" means planning ahead for those dark days when you have nothing specific to do, educating yourself in how you may use your leisure time for fun and profit. Of course, days of leisure doesn't have to mean retirement. But healthy, employable Americans are not likely to have much unbespoken leisure time before retirement.(I speak of Americans because it sounds like an American phrase, aimed at Americans.) SS

: : totlly disagree, "education for leisure" surely is meant as a term for people who educate themselves in their free time for no other reason than the wish to learn new things, ie, not for job prospects etc etc.

: H may well be right. I thought of that as a possibility. Educational programs for those with leisure time abound. Many colleges and universities have such programs, sometimes on campus, sometimes on television. Often they are free, or very inexpensive, but pay off in terms of keeping the alums interested and perhaps grateful. Some appear in other guises, including self-directed self-improvement. Since I don't know where Mr. or Ms. ????? saw the phrase, it's hard for me to be sure what's meant. SS

Yes, here in the US many community collages offer single course classes that often are only for one's personal enjoyment. Such as yoga, kickboxing/karate, languages, and computer usage. These are often taken by a wide range of students from ages 12 to 65 or older.

© 1997 – 2024 Phrases.org.uk. All rights reserved.