As the old saying says, "You're never too old to learn,?more and more people spare quite a lot of time to learn new knowledge, skills, techniques, etc, no matter whether they are old or young. Education as a lifelong process is now a trend throughout the whole society. 
Why is it necessary to expand the course of education to the whole period of life? It's the functions of education that calls for it. Education is to teach people knowledge and to teach them how to become a qualified citizen. As knowledge and techniques play important parts in social life, people's desire for them consequently rises. In this way, education, the way to gain knowledge and techniques, favourably fits people's demand and is enabled to extend its length. There once is a report aout a high-way engineer who talked about his own experience about learning new techniques of computer after his graduation from college. In his school time, computers had not been prevailed and there was no teaching about computer skills; what he had learned to deal with his design was to make drafts with pencils, rulers, etc. But as computers were introduced to his work, he had to use the computer to design. How could he use computers? He just leaned it by himself and managed to master the techniques. That was the education he received when he had his own career. That education enabled him to keep up with his work and the requests of the society. As new circumstances come and new requests arise, this out-of-school education would become increasingly crucial. From the engineer's example, we can see the nececity to sustain education throughout one's whole life, for it always provides what people need in their work.
On the other hand, education teaches people morality, principles, responsibilities and other qualities of citizens. Being beset with the complicated surroundings in society, people are very likely to get bewildered, perplexed and lost. The prompt, suitable education is very crucial to guide them and to refresh them. With the lifelong education, people can sustain their direction and mind so as to live a good life.

