WW2 POW's doing distance learning from London U

Here's something I didn't know:

Referring to the University of London External Programme:

(D)uring World War II, the External Programme witnessed an increase in enrollments from soldiers stationed abroad and, interestingly, soldiers imprisoned in German POW camps.[4]

Because the Geneva Convention (1929) stipulated that every prisoner of war, in addition to being entitled to adequate food and medical care, had the right to exchange correspondence and receive parcels, many British POWs took advantage of this opportunity and enrolled in the University of London External Programme. The soldiers were sent study materials via the mails, and at specified intervals sat for proctored exams in the prisoner camps. Almost 11,000 exams were taken at 88 camps between 1940 and 1945.[4] Although the exam failure rate was high, a significant number of soldiers passed their exams while imprisoned.

from Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_London_External_Programme

referencing: Tatum Anderson, "History lessons at the people's university," Guardian Weekly, May 16, 2007