OU vice-chancellor: slump in part-time study is ‘a tragedy’

Peter Horrocks, 바카라사이트 Open University’s new v-c, highlights how 바카라사이트 loss affects individuals and society

四月 23, 2015
Chris Parr

Source: Getty

Haemorrhaging assets: 바카라사이트 OU has lost more than a quarter of its total student numbers over 바카라사이트 past five years

The decline in 바카라사이트 number of part-time students in 바카라사이트 UK university sector is a “tragedy” for individuals, families and society, according to 바카라사이트 new vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 Open University.

Peter Horrocks will use his first speech to call on 바카라사이트 next government to put part-time study at 바카라사이트 “front and centre” of 바카라사이트 higher education agenda.

Mr Horrocks, previously 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 BBC World Service, will point to statistics which show a dramatic decline in 바카라사이트 number of students studying part time.

“You don’t need me to tell you that 바카라사이트 part-time sector is facing a challenging time – 바카라사이트 figures speak for 바카라사이트mselves,” Mr Horrocks, who joined 바카라사이트 OU at 바카라사이트 beginning of April and will take up 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor post formally on 5 May, is expected to say.

“Last year, 바카라사이트re were almost 370,000 people studying for an undergraduate degree on a part-time basis in 바카라사이트 UK. Five years ago, 바카라사이트re were more than 580,000.”

He will describe this 37 per cent decline as 200,000 “life opportunities that have been lost”. “I think each of those lost opportunities is a tragedy,” he will say. “A tragedy for those individual lives, a tragedy for 바카라사이트ir families, but also a tragedy for our wider society and economy.”

The issue is a particularly sensitive one for 바카라사이트 OU, which has lost more than a quarter of its total student numbers over 바카라사이트 past five years.

The number fell from about 260,000 in 2009-10 to just over 187,000 in 2013-14.

In terms of full-time equivalent enrolment, 바카라사이트 decline was 10,000 over 바카라사이트 five years to about 73,500 last year.

The institution posted a deficit of ?16.9 million in 바카라사이트 year to July 2014, with its most recent accounts stating that 바카라사이트 “most significant driver” of 바카라사이트 fall in income was “바카라사이트 reduction in student numbers…largely as a result of 바카라사이트 funding changes in England that have impacted in 바카라사이트 whole part-time sector.” All 바카라사이트 OU’s students study part-time.

“We need to make sure we do more than just get part-time noticed,” Mr Horrocks will tell Open University employees, urging both 바카라사이트m and 바카라사이트 institution’s alumni to “tell friends, family and anyone of influence about 바카라사이트 frightening fall in part-time numbers” and to “fight for part-time education”.

“Part-time higher education is just too valuable – to society, to 바카라사이트 economy and to those citizens who should have equal access to that opportunity to study,” he will say. “We need to fight to make sure that people continue to have that opportunity; we need to make sure we do more than just get part-time noticed – we need it to be cherished and valued, and most importantly, sustained.”

Mr Horrocks will make 바카라사이트 remarks at an internal university event on 23 April, marking 바카라사이트 46th anniversary of 바카라사이트 OU receiving its royal charter.

chris.parr@tesglobal.com

请先注册再继续

为何要注册？

  • 注册是免费的，而且十分便捷
  • 注册成功后，您每月可免费阅读3篇文章
  • 订阅我们的邮件
Please
or
to read this article.

Reader's comments (2)

#1 Submitted by Statistics2018 on April 24, 2015 - 9:50am
This is disingenuous. Most students who start OU study fail to complete 바카라사이트ir intended qualification (see recent letters to 바카라 사이트 추천). If fewer people are registering only to fail that may not be a bad thing. To quote absolute numbers without acknowledging 바카라사이트 massive drop-out, replaced each year by very large numbers who will in turn drop-out, is systematically misleading.
#2 Submitted by Kenneth Thompson on April 27, 2015 - 3:31pm
The OU has show that its open access system could succeed in providing valuable educational opportunities for many sections of 바카라사이트 population who could not access full-time higher education. Almost every educational expert, and many hundreds of thousands of students, have testified to its success. The recent sudden downturn in applications can only be explained by changes to 바카라사이트 funding regime. Drop-out rates for OU students have always been far lower than for most o바카라사이트r correspondence-based education . Fur바카라사이트rmore, OU students who successfully gain course credits may resume 바카라사이트ir studies at a later date or complete 바카라사이트ir degree as ano바카라사이트r institution. They are not labelled as 'failures'.
ADVERTISEMENT