Guess which year? (2)
Headline spotted in the Times Educational Supplement:
Plan for extension college to become OU’s vocational feeder
This discusses a proposal for the National Extension College to become a ‘vocational partner’ for the Open University.
Strangely, this was an article published on 15 July 2010, which is primarily about the opposition to a proposal to merge the National Extension College (NEC) with the Learning and Skills Network.
The NEC was founded in 1963 by Michael Young and was seen as a prototype for the OU. Students have often moved from pre-degree level study at the NEC to study for higher education qualifications at the OU. The merger is being opposed by many eminent figures who have been involved in both the NEC and OU who hold the view that an independent NEC, able to abide by its original principles would be preferable. These include creating a seedbed for imaginative educational thinking and political determinism for social justice. How the merger is effected by news of potential privatisation of LSN remains to be seen.