As my 65th birthday approaches, I have begun to contemplate my life after retirement. The following questions were persistently imposed upon my train of thought.

Is 65 the end of the road for my teaching career? Am I ready to stop teaching, bearing in mind the fact that it is the passion of my life? Did I share all my knowledge and wisdom with my students?

I began to question the logic behind imposing such a restriction based on age. Some experts suggest that the diminishing of one's physical and mental capacities with age may be one of the reasons that prompted lawmakers to come up with that age limit.

Others argue that retirement at that age permits people to enjoy the rest of their lives after paying their dues by working for so many years.

Economists insist that retirement gives new generations an opportunity to advance in their careers. The last argument (but not the least important) is the fact that without retirement, there won't be enough positions for new graduates.

All of the above arguments are valid. However, they can be disputed. Nowadays, people have long lifespan, which means that at 65, most people are capable of effectively and efficiently accomplishing the tasks of their jobs.

As for having the chance to enjoy the rest of one's life, most retirees lose their interest in life, which prevents them from seizing the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of their retirements.

Obviously, new employees can benefit tremendously from the experience, wisdom and guidance of their senior counterparts.

Finally, we need to find new ways to absorb the huge number of recent graduates by reducing working hours, sharing the responsibilities of a position or increasing the availability of part-time positions.

Most retirees are concerned about having a lot of time on their hands without many options available to them to occupy that time.

They also feel that after being useful and in charge for a long time, they are regarded as a burden on society.

Scholars and experts in social studies recommend that to avoid falling victim to depression, retirees should find activities to utilize their time such as acquiring new hobbies, doing volunteer work or seeking positions as consultants on a part-time basis.

China can benefit greatly from the expertise of retired foreign teachers if the country permits them the chance to share their knowledge with Chinese students by extending the retirement age limit.

It is a well-known fact that there is a lot of demand for experienced foreign teachers rather than inexperienced youngsters.

Sava Hassan, an Egyptian-Canadian educator based in Beijing