From Josh: Continuing Education in the UK

My friend Josh from myspace gave me permission to share his comments on continuing education in the UK. This is what Josh has to say:

Over here in the UK, adult literacy and numeracy are actively promoted by free tutorials at colleges for adults so that they can acquire or improve these skills.

The Open University, which is predominantly home study based, is one of the top universities in the UK.

The OU enables housebound people (the disabled, prisoners, women with young kids, and elders) and the military to gain degree qualifications in a wide range of subjects. Their college fees are often cheaper than at the other universities. OU degrees are valued by employers as they have strict standards and comprehensive materials. The OU also works in combination with the BBC and Discovery Channel in producing high-quality science and history programmes that are used both as highbrow entertainment and as educational tools. Material from David Attenborough's "Life of Mammals" and the "Blue Planet" nature series are used for ecology courses at foundation level. Teaching is also facilitated through Internet conferencing, local tutorials at colleges, and through workplace observed training.

I have finished several short science courses through the OU just for the fun of it; as a consequence, my knowledge of genetics and biology is more advanced than most of my colleagues in nursing. I have also taken longer courses in humanities and religious studies, and have now accumulated the equivalent of the first year in a science degree and half of an arts degree. I can take breaks when I wish and return a few years later to complete. Alternatively, I can take the qualifications and transfer them into a local university toward one of their degrees. It's a good flexible scheme that enables people to study what they wish to or need to.

As for corporate training, I find the work-based training offered by my hospital employer to be severely lacking and often irrelevant. Skills based training is particularly poor and the nurses who have undertaken degrees though the teaching hospitals have a poor understanding of basic chemistry and biology; their social science and psychology understanding is equivalent to foundation level (freshman). I can only assume that the retention of information soon wanes after qualification.

Thanks for your very descriptive and candid comments, Josh! It sounds like the OU is a fabulous institution.

What are your experiences with continuing education in your part of the world? Share them here or in the forum.