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The
first hundred years of Ruskin College's existence has had a profound effect
on the development of adult education, giving it an international reputation.
The original home of lifelong learning, Ruskin has been a unique institution,
due to its particular ethos and the nature of its intake: working class students,
with no formal educational qualifications who have come from a variety of
trade union and community 'activist' backgrounds.
Based in Oxford it has enjoyed a mixed relationship with the University, often
defining itself by its difference. Its close labour movement links have meant
it has been a formative influence on the development of such leading public
figures as John Prescott, while it has also been the site of a range of other
radical and dissenting voices.
A feature of this book is the focus on the ways in which hidden and complex
allegiances within the college have had a wider public impact. Avoiding the
'top down' commemorative historical approach and assuming the tradition of
the pioneering History Workshop movement set up by Raphael samuel, it assesses
the significance of Ruskin through the experiences of the people who have
lived and worked there as students and staff.
Ruskin itself has been the site of public history in the making through the
participation of its members in battles over education, community activity
and civil rights movements. This collection of essays is the first account
of what is often called 'the Ruskin experience' and offers a fascinating insight
into the ways in which Ruskin has helped to remake radical educational and
political agendas.