40,000 cyber students come into the Open

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, May 21, 2000 | by FIONA JAMES

MORE than two million students can't be wrong.

That's how many have undertaken Open University courses since it was established in 1969.

Students over the years have included celebrities like Julie Christie, Sheila Hancock, Connie Booth and Matthew Kelly.

But it's one of the OU's latest courses which is getting all the attention. You, Your Computer and the Net has enrolled 14,000 students in its first year - three times the number of students on any previous OU course. Last year there were 166,225 Open University students - compared to just 19,615 in 1969.

Experts worried at the shortage of UK scientists will be relieved that a new course called Discovering Science has attracted 3,800 students this year.

It's possible to achieve a degree in three years but most students study part-time over six years.

And education experts predict more students will opt for courses away from traditional universities because of tuition fees, with many studying via the Internet.

Around 40,000 OU students can already join online discussion groups with fellow students through their computers.

And the university spends pounds 1million every year loaning terminals to students who don't have them already.

-OPEN University, Milton Keynes, PO Box 724 MK7 6ZS. (or call 01908