When was started open university in england

You are here Home Strategy and policies Facts and figures. Our global reach Open University students are not just in the UK. Over 8, international students directly studying with the OU Over 1.

The OU and digital media OpenLearn, a free learning resources website from the OU, has had 95 million visits since its launch in Fascinating facts about the OU The Open University was founded in and took its first 24, students in This means that the OU does not simply focus on providing information, says Dan Weinbren, curriculum manager at the faculty of arts and social sciences at the OU.

They require a lot of support - which we can deliver through part time tutors, central support teams, the helpdesk — and that is the main difference, which is also the most costly part of delivery. Read more: The sorry saga of the British school that innovated itself to death. It was not just the OU students that got hit by the fee changes, of course. This age category is a minority at the OU — older part-time working students have always been the bulk of its student body, so the overall number of students keeps on falling.

Without state funding and higher tuition, they found themselves in deep water. He adds that the OU has always pioneered new technologies, and that it will continue to do so. Despite the troubles which have affected the OU recently, there remain a number of paths forward.

However, the idea only gained momentum in the early s, when then Prime Minister Harold Wilson decided to address the matter. In doing so, he built on the vision of political activist Michael Young Lord Young of Dartington who had started a dawn university on local television.

Following the general election in , Jennie Lee was appointed Minister for the Arts. She became instrumental in the foundation of The Open University. A committee of university vice-chancellors, educationalists and television broadcasters began planning in , and The Open University became a firm commitment in From its outset, The Open University adopted a radical open admissions policy, while attaining the highest standards of scholarship.

It was a model which proved extremely popular with the public. Coronavirus: Please be aware it may take us slightly longer to respond than usual. Find out about our coronavirus response and current contact hours.

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