The Open University

Fixing the broken market in part-time study

16 November 2017

Open University says part-time students ‘learning while earning’ need direct funding A new report by The Open University, “Fixing the Broken Market in Part-Time study”, published on the website of the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), says the collapse in part-time higher education is a symptom of a broken market It says part-time higher education can support […]

Budget 2017: Government must “jumpstart” its support for learn and earn

13 November 2017

The Open University has joined forces with the Institute of Directors (IoD) to call on the Government to use the upcoming Budget announcement to “jumpstart” support for lifelong learning in the UK. In a joint letter to Chancellor Philip Hammond, OU Vice-Chancellor Peter Horrocks and the IoD’s Director General Stephen Martin, urged him to recognise that […]

Girl holding head against a school blackboard

Education does not start – or end – at school, says OU Vice-Chancellor

10 November 2017

Imagine not doing well at school. Imagine being told you’ll amount to nothing. And imagine carrying that around with you for decades. One of the highlights of my role as Vice-Chancellor is to meet many of our students as they cross the stage to become graduates. And to see the pride and new-found confidence that […]

OU Vice-Chancellor tells universities to wake up to the digital future

27 October 2017

Peter Horrocks, the vice-chancellor of The Open University, has warned that higher education is years behind in maximising the use of digital technology. In a speech to the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities conference in Milton Keynes, he said universities had a crucial role to play in developing the “digitally enabled citizens” of the […]

Three things the OU is doing to make a difference for part-time students

26 October 2017

Vice-Chancellor of The Open University, Peter Horrocks, updates our students in this video. He focuses on: Talking to students, meeting graduates at degree ceremonies and using social media What he is doing to fight for the interests of part-time students – you can read more about his views in this article Planning for the future of […]

The real casualty of the 2012 tuition fees shake-up? Mature and part-time learners

12 October 2017

This blog was authored by Vice-Chancellor, Peter Horrocks, and originally published on Universities UK We are at a rare moment in politics where the concerns of students have been thrust to the forefront of national debate I welcome the prime minister’s review of university funding because, amid the sound and fury of party politics, […]

There has been a massive drop in the number of mature students studying at UK universities

13 September 2017

If you step on to a university campus in any town or city across the UK, chances are that most of the students you will see will all be of a similar age. Yes, there may be the odd “mature student”, but for the most part, a lot of the students look to be in […]

Low skilled workers can’t move up the career ladder

7 September 2017

New market research on skills commissioned by the OU has found that the vast majority of people in low and semi-skilled work are not getting the training and opportunities they need to move up the career ladder. The online survey of 4000 UK adults found that of the 42% that described themselves as ‘Not In Skilled Employment’ (NISKE), […]

Clearing 2017: entry available now to The Open University

14 August 2017

A-level results day launches a wave of big emotions, as young people across the UK are faced with important decisions to take about their future. The Clearing process will be underway this week, but some students will be looking for alternatives to going away to study and The Open University (OU) could be a perfect […]

Widening access to higher education and part-time learning go hand-in-hand

14 August 2017

The OU has welcomed the release of the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and the charity Brightside’s new collection of essays on widening access to university written by senior higher education figures. Commenting on the publication of ‘Where next for widening participation and fair access?’ Laura Burley, Head of Government & External Affairs at […]

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Category: The OU speaks out