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Tertiary Education is the educational level following the completion of a high school or secondary school. It is commonly referred to as a higher education which prepares students for any further study they wish to complete or the credentials they need to begin a new job.
In Africa the Higher education (tertiary education) crises has five components:
(Daniel, from Saint 1999, p. 6)
Currently in Africa there are over 140 public and private institutions, however a vast majority of them are aimed at teachers and school administrators and only 12% of programs were actually aimed at uni students. Experimentations are currently underway, however in a number of different countries in Africa. Zambia for example is using a university based internet system to support interactive regional study centres for distance learners. Zimbabwe Open University has already enrolled 10 000 students in nine programs, and recently launched a Masters degree for in-service teachers. (Saint, 1999, p. 9-11)
All of these changes are as a result of the information and communication technologies that are becoming available. ‘The development of tele-centres – public sites that offer access for a fee to telephones, fax, e-mail and full Internet services – is growing in South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and elsewhere(Saint, 1999, p. 11)’.
Distance Education would have a great impact on the students wanting to study at a tertiary level. Initially it would enable more students to enrol into a tertiary course due to the cost being cheaper per person. There would be greater flexibility in the design and delivery of curriculum content which would enable changes to be made to suit specific students learning requirements. The time and distance factor would obviously be eliminated, and therefore those people who would normally not be able to study due to cultural responsibilities such as women having their household duties to complete would now have the opportunity. Due to all of the changes mentioned above there is a greater access to facilities meaning that even if students can not financially own their own there is equipment nearby that they are allowed to use. Quality is also a very important factor. With the use of Distance education in tertiary level study, the teaching and content quality will not only improve but will also ensure consistency.
Saint, W. (1999). Tertiary Distance Education and Technology in Sub-Saharan Africa. Retrieved October 3rd, 2005, from http://www.adeanet.org/publications/wghe/tert_disted_en.pdf
Stephanie Shield 05:53, 28 Oct 2005 (EST)
