§ 9. Mr. Arthur Lathamasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many people over the age of state retirement have been able to obtain local authority education grants to undertake Open university courses.
§ Mr. LathamWill the Department consider my proposition that education provided for non-vocational purposes is likely to be the most worth while of all? Is it not sad that many people in retirement are bored? Would it not be a splendid way to spend their time to pursue a course of study to enrich their lives? Will the Department accept that one is never too old to learn and join me in a campaign to encourage old people to take up opportunities that many of them may have missed earlier in their lives?
§ Mr. OakesI agree. The Open university, one of the finest achievements of the last Labour Government, is open to all, including the elderly. Many of those elderly people left school not at 14 years of age but at 12 or 13 years of age. Society owes them the opportunity to pursue their leisure activities on Open university courses.
§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonIs the Minister correct to say that the Open university is open to all? Does he agree that far too many people who are taking courses at the Open university are teachers rather than those who missed the opportunity of higher education when they left school? Will he bring pressure to bear upon the Secretary of State to see whether a system can be worked out whereby those who are prepared to study in their own time are paid a limited grant by their local authorities? Is he aware that that is not possible at present because local authorities have insufficient funds to grant such mandatory awards?
§ Mr. OakesMost courses at the Open university qualify for discretionary awards, not mandatory awards. Many teachers are pursuing courses which are valuable to them. I would not wish to restrict any section of the community from pursuing such courses.