PERSPECTIVES ON OPEN EDUCATION
2.01 Open or distance education programmes have been
operational for over 250 years, mainly in Europe and North
America, in the form of `correspondence education' for adults
wishing to secure diplomas, degrees or just skills and informa-
tion of their special interest. Early in the 20th Century, univer-
salization of primary education in remote geographical areas
was carried out by Australia, Canada and New Zealand,
through postal tuition. Later, correspondence education began
to cover secondary, higher, and some branches of professional
education. The use of radio and television for learning-support
brought in the term `distance education'. But the establishment
of the United Kingdom Open University (UKOU) in 1969, gave
a new direction to this field. Along with print-materials, it
introduced audio and video materials and a system of personal
guidance through contact centres for learners and their counsel-
lors. The thrust of the Open University towards equality of
educational opportunity for the forgotten millions such as
workers and housewives received appreciation. Soon after,
many a `correspondence' course got converted firstly into` dis-
tance education' and then into `Open Education' using the new
style of postal tuition supported by personal contact and multi-
media packages of learning materials.
2.02 Despite a fairly wide expansion of the school sys-
tem, the number of out-of-school children and youth is still
very large and adult illiteracy also is a nagging problem par-
ticularly in developing countries. The full-time institutional sys-
tem of education takes in only those who do not work and who
can afford the price it demands. For those who work and
contribute to the economy, for those who have little time to
spare for full-time education, alternative paths of entry into
edUcation must be opened up in the interest of equity as well as
socio-economic development. This is the rationale of the Open
Learning System.
2.03 A well-designed open learning system which satis-
fies the dual demand of educational quality and quantity, cre-
ates a network of educational opportunities relevant to the needs
and circumstances of the learners and their society, can be a
major means for accelerating the pace of development in an age
dominated by market forces and by technology as the prime
input for securing a better standard of living for all. In our
country, the chief concern at present is to wipe out adult illiter-
acy as fast as possible, improve enrolment, retention and
achievement at the elementary and secondary stages, and offer
vocational courses and further education of various types inter-
linked with employment possibilities. In such a situation, we
need to profit by global experience by culling out from it the
factors which suit our needs and combining them imaginatively
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with our own formulations. Appropriate open education can
help build among our people the attitude of self-reliance and
self-confidence which are basic to good performance in the
work-place as well as in the side spectrum of socio-cultural
activities which characterize a progressive society. The time
has obviously come to take Open Education seriously and or-
ganize it systematically for moving speedily towards education
and employment for all.
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