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It’s been 50 years since the formation of the Open University, now one of the largest universities in Europe. The Observer Magazine of 15 November 1970 looked ahead to the start of operations in January 1971 when ‘25,000 ordinary men and women’ were about to realise ‘the promise of belated academic qualifications’. Alan Road’s piece was headlined ‘Do-it-yourself degrees’ (though aren’t all degrees that?)
One of the first things the OU had to overcome was ignorance about how it would work. As Road put it: ‘It will not be possible to obtain a degree by sitting down for a few nights and watching the telly.’ In fact ‘only 5% of a student’s time will be spent viewing’. Ironically enough, I spent at least 20% of my time at a regular university watching TV.
There were worries about ‘the loneliness of the long-distance learner’. ‘The nearest thing in sight to a dreaming spire is probably the transmitting mast at Alexandra Palace,’ said Road, ‘where television and radio programmes are being recorded in co-operation with the BBC.’
It’s apposite that for such an egalitarian institution, where no entry qualifications were required, the OU campus at Walton Hall near Milton Keynes was built ‘around a 26-room Georgian house that used to be the home of the local lord of the manor’.
When Harold Wilson first mooted the idea in 1963 (the arresting but misleading title of University of the Air was ditched) it was dismissed by some as ‘quixotic’ and ‘gimmicky’. Astonishing, then, that there were 42,000 applicants for courses.
Equally eye-opening was that 7,000 chemistry sets were sent through the post to students. ‘A collection of 50 chemicals will be included in the kit,’ wrote Road, ‘and though no Class One poisons will be included… students will be warned of the possible hazard to children.’ What could possibly have gone wrong?
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