History of the OU

​In June 2024 Peter Keogh, Professor of Health and Society in the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies attended the graduation in Mountjoy Women’s Prison in Dublin of OU’s first female in Students in Secure Environments (SiSE) to graduate in Ireland.

He said:

“I was incredibly fortunate that the first SiSE graduation I attended after transferring to the OU in Ireland was for the OU’s first female graduate in Ireland. This was a huge achievement for the graduate herself but also for The Open University and the prison education staff.
“Talking to the graduate, I was struck by how little she made of the obstacles she faced studying in a secure environment. She expressed admiration for learners on the outside who juggle their learning with childcare and jobs. But the barriers she faced were all too real and included not only having to overcome the difficulties she faced in her own life but also having to fight entrenched norms against women prisoners learning, and significant technical and IT barriers.
“It was great to have an opportunity to discuss these things with a group of female prisoners who have been inspired to follow in her footsteps and study for qualifications with the OU. The SiSE team in Ireland deserve huge credit for supporting and facilitating all these amazing journeys. ”

“To me, these graduation events go to the heart of the OU’s mission in promoting equality and social justice through education. Never has the term ‘the university of the second chance’ been so appropriate.”

The event was also attended by John D’Arcy, Director of Ireland. He added:

“It was a privilege to attend this degree ceremony at Mountjoy Prison. I was so impressed by our new graduate’s commitment to her studies and how much she was inspiring other prisoners to undertake study. The commitment of the Irish Prison Service Staff and tutors from City of Dublin Education and Training Board with our SISE manager Tony Peoples is a model of good practice.”