Anthony Pritchard
Encyclopedia
Anthony Langley Pritchard was a teacher
and university administrator. He was the foundation Chief Executive Officer of Open Learning Australia (now Open Universities Australia).
Pritchard was born in Melbourne, Australia and moved with his family to country Victoria from where he was sent to Melbourne Grammar School
. He completed science and education degrees at the universities of Melbourne
and Queensland
and taught science
and mathematics
in government and independent secondary school
s in Victoria and Tasmania.
From 1969 to 1975, he taught in a Papua New Guinea
government high school (Kwikila High School) before taking up a lectureship at the Goroka Teachers' College (now the University of Goroka
). From Goroka, he was invited to join the staff of the Institute of Technology in Lae, where from a senior administrative position, he assisted the Director and later Vice-Chancellor (Professor John Sandover) develop the institution for university status as Papua New Guinea's University of Technology.
In 1975 he was appointed as the Executive Officer of the Interim Council of Victoria's fourth university, Deakin University
, arriving some months ahead of the foundation Vice Chancellor, Professor Fred Jevons. During the next ten years, Pritchard became University Secretary and Registrar as the university grew and became a leader in open and distance education.
In 1985 he was appointed as Registrar of Monash University
, responsible for the University's academic and personnel administration, the university's international program and the Open Learning Program. His actions in promoting a relationship with Malaysia's Sunway College in 1988 lead to the establishment of Monash's first international campus in 1998, Monash University Sunway.
As part of the Vice-Chancellor's Executive (Professor Mal Logan
), he played a central role in the mergers undertaken by Monash with the Chisholm Institute of Technology and the Gippsland College of Advanced Education (GIAE). The relationship with GIAE was crucial in Monash becoming one of the eight national centres for distance learning, and subsequently obtaining major Australian government grants to develop internationally recognised programs in open and distance learning. Pritchard was successively director of the Television Open Learning Project and later, Open Learning Australia
, first established as a company of Monash University and later, as a company with seven other university shareholders.
In 1992 and in 1993, Pritchard was seconded to Open Learning Australia (OLA), becoming first Managing Director and later Chief Executive Office. A formal review of Open Learning Australia was conducted by the Centre for the Studies of Higher Education, The University of Melbourne, amongst whose comments included the following: OLA "should continue" and much credit was due to all concerned, who "despite difficulties inherent in the early stages of any major initiative, have shown an overriding commitment to the goal of widened access to quality tertiary education and the development of effective ways in which to achieve it".
Open Learning Australia was established to implement the Australian Government's Open Learning Initiative with grants of $35 million. As an organisationally and technologically innovative alternative to campus based university studies, it makes tertiary education available to those unable to benefit from more conventional forms, building upon established distance education practices. Now, as Open Universities Australia, its main delivery method is through Internet-based studies and online learning.
In 1999 Pritchard resigned from OLA to head his own education consulting company.
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
and university administrator. He was the foundation Chief Executive Officer of Open Learning Australia (now Open Universities Australia).
Pritchard was born in Melbourne, Australia and moved with his family to country Victoria from where he was sent to Melbourne Grammar School
Melbourne Grammar School
Melbourne Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school predominantly for boys, located in South Yarra and Caulfield, suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
. He completed science and education degrees at the universities of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
and Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
and taught science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
and mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
in government and independent secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
s in Victoria and Tasmania.
From 1969 to 1975, he taught in a Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
government high school (Kwikila High School) before taking up a lectureship at the Goroka Teachers' College (now the University of Goroka
University of Goroka
The University of Goroka is a university in the Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. It provides teaching in three faculties and in two schools...
). From Goroka, he was invited to join the staff of the Institute of Technology in Lae, where from a senior administrative position, he assisted the Director and later Vice-Chancellor (Professor John Sandover) develop the institution for university status as Papua New Guinea's University of Technology.
In 1975 he was appointed as the Executive Officer of the Interim Council of Victoria's fourth university, Deakin University
Deakin University
Deakin University is an Australian public university with nearly 40,000 higher education students in 2010. It receives more than A$600 million in operating revenue annually, and controls more than A$1.3 billion in assets. It received more than A$35 million in research income in 2009 and had 835...
, arriving some months ahead of the foundation Vice Chancellor, Professor Fred Jevons. During the next ten years, Pritchard became University Secretary and Registrar as the university grew and became a leader in open and distance education.
In 1985 he was appointed as Registrar of Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
, responsible for the University's academic and personnel administration, the university's international program and the Open Learning Program. His actions in promoting a relationship with Malaysia's Sunway College in 1988 lead to the establishment of Monash's first international campus in 1998, Monash University Sunway.
As part of the Vice-Chancellor's Executive (Professor Mal Logan
Mal Logan
Malcolm Ian Logan, AC is an Australian geographer and university administrator. He was Vice-Chancellor of Monash University from 1987-1996.Logan grew up in country New South Wales, attending secondary school in the remote town of Tamworth. He moved to Sydney to complete an honours degree in...
), he played a central role in the mergers undertaken by Monash with the Chisholm Institute of Technology and the Gippsland College of Advanced Education (GIAE). The relationship with GIAE was crucial in Monash becoming one of the eight national centres for distance learning, and subsequently obtaining major Australian government grants to develop internationally recognised programs in open and distance learning. Pritchard was successively director of the Television Open Learning Project and later, Open Learning Australia
Open Learning Australia
Open Universities Australia is an Australian open distance education organisation. The majority of students are based in Australia, however the courses are available to the rest of the world...
, first established as a company of Monash University and later, as a company with seven other university shareholders.
In 1992 and in 1993, Pritchard was seconded to Open Learning Australia (OLA), becoming first Managing Director and later Chief Executive Office. A formal review of Open Learning Australia was conducted by the Centre for the Studies of Higher Education, The University of Melbourne, amongst whose comments included the following: OLA "should continue" and much credit was due to all concerned, who "despite difficulties inherent in the early stages of any major initiative, have shown an overriding commitment to the goal of widened access to quality tertiary education and the development of effective ways in which to achieve it".
Open Learning Australia was established to implement the Australian Government's Open Learning Initiative with grants of $35 million. As an organisationally and technologically innovative alternative to campus based university studies, it makes tertiary education available to those unable to benefit from more conventional forms, building upon established distance education practices. Now, as Open Universities Australia, its main delivery method is through Internet-based studies and online learning.
In 1999 Pritchard resigned from OLA to head his own education consulting company.