I share Karen Barratt’s concern (Letters, 16 March) about the Open University’s decision to close many of its regional offices. But even more damage has been done by the government’s policy on fees for OU students. I know that through the OU many people have changed careers to become qualified mathematics teachers, of which there is still a great shortage. The high fees, and the inability of those who already have a first degree to get a loan, now makes this much more difficult.
Alan Slomson
Leeds
• Former National Extension College colleague Hilary Perraton’s letter about the genesis of the Open University revives an old memory. As the first executive director of the new NEC, I attended a meeting with Michael Young, Brian Jackson and Caspar Brook at which it was decided to offer courses for university degrees through our usual combination of correspondence materials, broadcasts and live tutorials.
There was much circular discussion about what to call this new enterprise. Many possible names were mooted, ranging from the daft to the University of the Air. The repeated common factor at the heart of every proposal was that these courses must be open to all, regardless of means, background or previous education. Eventually I suggested that if they were to be open to all we should call the venture “the Open University” – and we did.
John Griffiths
Monmouth
• When considering the origins of the Open University, Hilary Perraton was right to scroll back beyond Jennie Lee and Harold Wilson to the ideas of Michael Young in 1962. But why stop there? In 1926 the educationist and historian JC Stobart wrote a memo, while working at the BBC, advocating a “wireless university”.
Alan Woodley
Northampton
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