erdEducation Reform and Development2652-53642652-5372Bio-Byword Scientific Publishing Pty. Ltd.10.26689/erd.v8i3.14601ArticleFacing the Middle-Aged and Elderly Groups: Discussing High-Quality Education Development in the “15th Five-Year Plan” Periodhttps://artdesignp.com/journal/erd/8/3/10.26689/erd.v8i3.14601GaoMeng2026832026-04-21As a critical period in the process of Chinese-style modernization, the “15th Five-Year Plan” period sees education playing an important role in talent cultivation. Against the backdrop of population aging, both the elderly group and a part of the middle-aged group on the verge of entering old age enjoy the right to education, but the participation rate remains generally low. To address this issue, this paper analyzes the current situation and problems of education for the middle-aged and elderly, identifies the challenges of digital transformation and the digital divide, summarizes the development history of representative elderly universities internationally, constructs an elderly learning service system from the perspective of policy tools, and proposes several paths for the high-quality development of elderly education under the background of digital transformation, providing reference for readers.

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