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At the recent Pan Commonwealth Forum in London the Nambian
College of Open Learning (NAMCOL), Professor Brenda Gourley of the
Open University and Professor Barney Pityana of UNISA were honoured
with Excellence in Distance Education Awards. Jenny Louw reports.
NAMCOL
Namcol received the prestigious award for excellence at
an institutional level for its outstanding achievement in providing
distance education to Namibia.The award honours significant institutional
achievements in the innovative and effective application of learning
technologies and open and distance methodologies to reach students
who might otherwise not have participated in the learning or training
experience.
The adjudication panel considered the following criteria in selecting
the winners:
- Quality of courses and programmes offered,
- Effectiveness of course materials and learner support systems,
- Effective use of appropriate technology,
- Relevance of the programmes to the Millenium Development Goals,
Education for All agenda, and the Commonwealth objectives of peace,
democracy and good governance.
The citation
reads as follows:
"‘The Namibian College of Open
Learning was selected for recording an impressive growth in learner
enrolments of 70% from across Namibia’s vast land area of
824, 3000 square kilometers and posting increased pass rates of
59% for Grade 10 (Junior Secondary) and 41% for Grade 12 (Senior
Secondary.
NAMCOL’s award-winning corporate governance
system, along with its expanded programmes, have enabled it to
introduce a range of high-quality, low-cost professional and vocational
course offerings and to address in a focused fashion four of the
eight Millenium Development goals.”
SAIDE would like to take this opportunity in extending our congratulations
to NAMCOL for their achievements, and in particular, in addressing
the further education and training needs and those of out-of-school
youth in the country.
Honourary Fellows
SAIDE would also like to congratulate Professor
Brenda Gourley, a former SAIDE trustee, Vice Chancellor of the
University of Kwazulu Nataland current Vice-Chancellor of the Open
University, UK and Professor
Barney Pityana, Vice Chancellor of UNISA on being made honorary
fellows of the Commonwealth of Learning. Together with Jenny Glennie
who was made an honoary fellow in 2002 they are recognised for their
dedication to distance education as a means to provide access to
education in South Africa.
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