FOUR women whose diverse backgrounds have led them into totally different ways of life have been brought together by the world of education.

Marion Cowley, aged 37, left school at 16 with no qualifications. She embarked on a hairdressing training course and spent the next 14 years perming, colouring and cutting until she left to have a family.

With only hairdressing as an option Marion, who lives in Sharples, decided the time had arrived to take control of her destiny.

After studying for GCSE in child development and sociology - both courses funded by City Challenge - Marion enrolled on an Access Course at Brownlow Fold Community Centre, Halliwell.

Access is equivalent to A-Level and after a year's study she achieved the highest level possible in psychology.

She is now set to start a degree course at Bolton Institute in the hope of gaining a BSc in Psychology and giving her a better chance of a career for the future.

Research chemist Joanne Smith enrolled on an Open Learning course at Brownlow Fold simply to get her sister there.

With a stable job and secure future Joanne, 32, was simply looking for something different to do. After just a year's study she has gained a grade B in GCSE Psychology and with qualifications already is about to start a degree course at Bolton Institute in September.

Open Learning is a flexible way of studying which allows students to work at their own pace and in a way which suits their own way of life. Individual programmes of study are worked out in advance to give each person the best possible chance of succeeding and by linking in with a tutor they are able to get the necessary help and support.

Until this year only GCSEs were offered but from September, students will be able to study for A-Levels in this way.

Eraina Smith has never held a "decent" job. She left Hayward School at 16 with no qualifications and no real idea of what she wanted to do.

After five years working in various jobs, none of which required any particular skill, Eraina had a son Daniel and since then has not worked.

After gaining a grade B in GCSE Maths, Eraina has just gained a B in English and she is now embarking on a degree course in civil engineering at Bolton Institute.

This includes a foundation year which forms an introduction to a degree course, although nervous of starting a degree at 28, she is anxious to create a career for herself and for the sake of her son.

Open Learning has given Eraina and the others the chance to educate themselves without the fixed rigidity of classroom and schooling, so successful has it been that Eraina is now planning not only to start her degree course in September but to study for a GCSE in computing. Grandmother Birgitta Scowcroft moved to Bolton 30 years ago from her home in Sweden.

In Sweden Birgitta worked as a blank clerk and took up this career when she arrived in Bolton. After a few years she had the first of her three children and spent the next 20 years raising her family.

Now a grandmother and in need of something more she took exams funded by City Challenge at Brownlow Fold and later transferred to an Access course.

Having achieved the highest grade she is now planning to start a degree course in psychology at the institute in September and would ultimately like to enter the field of research.

If anyone is interested in Access courses or open learning in general th sey should contact Janet Johnson on Bolton 396510.

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