Friday 12 August 2011

Lifelong learning, RIP?


The Open University may long ago have shaken off the image of kipper-tied lecturers presenting physics primers on late-night BBC2, but it has retained a warmly regarded reputation with the public as being the place for later-in-life education – whether it's for a change of career, or correcting the educational omissions of a misspent youth.

But that reputation may be set to change, following the OU's announcement of its new fees structure for students in England from September 2012. The price of a full-time degree (120 credits) will rise from about £1,400 to an average of £5,000 a year, with a part-time degree (60 credits) coming in at £2,500, where previously it had been around £700...

The £5,000 may be a bargain when compared with the new fees of many other universities, but will it be a step too far for those who want to learn for fun or gently dip a toe back into education?

Ian Aitch in the Guardian 

We no longer provide funding to higher education institutions (HEIs) and further education colleges (FECs) to teach students who are studying for a qualification that is equivalent to, or lower than, a qualification which they have already achieved. 

Higher Education Funding Council for England

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