ABSTRACT
The Open University (OU) was created on the initiative of the Government of the day and was granted its Royal Charter in 1969. One of its main aims was to offer adults the opportunity to study for a degree at home in their spare time. It was intended primarily for those who had missed out on educational opportunities in the past and might not possess the normal university entrance qualifications. Community education is concerned with the learning of adults in their roles of parent, consumer, employee and citizen in the context of their family, workplace and community. The Community Education programme at the OU has been particularly fortunate to date with its collaborating partners. No formal face-to-face teaching is provided by the University within the Community Education programme. The solution within the OU programme has been to identify target groups along two main dimensions: materials and support needs and learning needs.
