THE OPEN UNIVERSITY
IS NOW CLOSED.
THE CLOSED UNIVERSITY IS OPEN TO TRANSACTIVISM
We OBJECT!
In 2020 OBJECT complained to the OU Vice-Chancellor about an online Futurelearn course authored by Gendered Intelligence and full of unscientific nonsense about trans. We had to chase for a response, but they duly reviewed it and took it down.
Recently we complained about another piece full of trans nonsense, chased them as before and received a response from an assistant that it had been reviewed but would stay up because the author, Dr Naomi Holford, was entitled to her opinion. Yet the document attached in support stated:
• We will be academically rigorous, justify our views with evidence and academic argument and be willing to recognise the gaps and weaknesses in our own arguments.
• In promoting our ideas, we will make every reasonable effort to minimise the risks of any harm, either physical or psychological, arising for any person, institution or community.
Opinion or evidence – which should we use to write educational materials? Hmmm…
They clearly think we will go away and give up. But no – OBJECT’s complaint came from a former OU science tutor and an OU graduate. We care too much to let this rest.
We have written again (see below) pointing out a few inconsistencies, and are now making this brush-off public. We have also contacted government ministers as the OU makes most of its income from course fees. Its product is now knowingly contaminated. Is this corporate corruption?
Our investigations have shown that education is riddled with unchallenged, outdated, unscientific transactivism which encourages unscientific thinking, promulgates dodgy statistics and goes AGAINST all the good science education students should be getting. It also goes against government guidance that children should not be taught that they can be ‘born in the wrong body’. Students of every age deserve better. We are all paying for education, via taxes or directly via fees.