Draft policy on open and distance learning validated |21 November 2014

Senior officials from the Ministry of Education including its agencies and other key stakeholders within the educational sector met this week to discuss the development of a policy on open and distance learning (ODL).

Godson Gatsha, consultant from the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), conducted the three-day workshop which took place at the Adult Learning and Distance Education Centre (Aldec).  He has over 30 years working experience in both conventional and open and distance learning environments.

This workshop aimed at stimulating dialogue among the various stakeholders on the factors that national educational policy makers may have to consider from a policy perspective to regulate development and implementation of quality ODL.  

Over the three days of consultation, key issues related to different components of ODL policy development were addressed. These range from governance and management, materials production, teaching and learning, student/learner support, information communications infrastructure to monitoring, evaluation and quality assurance and possibilities for international cooperation in developing and sustaining a distance education system.

In this day and age, open and distance learning has extended its reach and application beyond university education to schooling, work-based learning, and skills training thereby going beyond the formal educational provision of governments or government supported institutions.

The past few years have seen the emergence of profit-organisations and enterprises embarking on on-line or virtual learning within the country and off-shore. Experience over the years has shown that at the heart of the success or failure of such initiatives are sound clearly defined policy frameworks at national and institutional levels.

“This workshop is very much in line with the Lifelong Learning and Open and Distance Education Sub-Sector: Fostering a Culture of Continuous Training and Lifelong for Employability and Production which features in the Education Medium Term Strategy 2013-2017. Seychelles has been very active in several COL activities namely the Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC). Next week, Seychelles will also take part in a workshop on gender mainstreaming organised by COL in Lesotho. In these three days, we discussed, reflected and exchanged issues, views and ideas on national strategic priorities with regards to the ODL policy,” said Dr Marie-Reine Hoareau, focal point for COL.

At the end of the workshop, a draft policy on ODL for the Ministry of Education taking into consideration the template for policy development of the ministry and the key policy elements of the SADC ODL Regional Policy Framework was validated and adopted.